"I took the crazy thing, and insisted on it, to really do what I wanted. Because I do believe that we live in a macho world. And being a sculptor and not being a man is very difficult. For people to take me seriously, I resorted to that trick, because they thought: 'maybe that crazy woman does interesting things.' And I think this worked."
— Feliza Bursztyn
Feliza Bursztyn (b. 1933, Bogotá, Colombia - 1982, Paris, France) was a Colombian sculptor and assemblage artist celebrated for her witty yet incisive feminist works. Studying under Ossip Zadkine in Paris, she pioneered kinetic art and installation in Colombia. Using scrap metals and cast-off machine parts collected from Bogotá factories, Bursztyn created kinetic junk assemblages and environments satirizing social conventions. Her iconic "Hystericas" series features flailing, screeching metal forms mocking stereotypes of "hysterical" women. Later camouflaged "bed" sculptures vibrantly thematized female sexuality and erotic expression.
Bursztyn's avant-garde practice championed marginalized voices, brazenly confronting political repression and gender inequality in Colombia. Though persecution for her progressive politics cut her career tragically short with an early death in exile, recent international exhibitions have spotlighted her courageous assault of ingrained artistic and social norms.