1930  Niki de Saint Phalle was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. She was brought up in New York where her family immigrated in the late twenties.

1948-1955  She begins to paint. She marries the writer Harry Mathews with whom she will have two children Laura and Philip. The Mathews take up residence in Europe (Paris, Mallorca and Nice). In Barcelona she discovers the architecture of Gaudli which will profoundly influence her later work.

1956  First show of paintings in St. Gallen, Switzerland. She begins a series of assemblage paintings made with found objects imbedded in plaster and paint.

1960-1964  The beginning of a long and productive collaboration with the sculptor Jean Tinguely. She starts the shooting paintings, a series of actions in which the public or the artist herself shoots with a 22 caliber rifle at the plaster reliefs inside of which are plastic bags of paint which explode under the impact of the bullets. Niki becomes a member of the Nouveaux Réalistes. Participates with Robert Rauscheriberg, Jasper Johns and Tinguely in a concert performance of "Vanations 2" by John Cage with David Tudor performing on the piano, presented at the American Embassy in Paris.

1965-1970  Shows her first sculptures of "Nanas'' in New York and Parls. With Tinguely and Ultvedt constructs the "Hon", a gigantic pregnant Nana laying on her back for the Moderna. Museet of Stockholm. The "Fantastic Paradise", an assemblage of nine sculptures of Saint Phalle's and Tinguely's for Expo'67 in Montreal. Starts creating architectural live-in sculptures in the south of France for Rainer von Diez. Collaborates with Tinguely for the making of a monumental sculpture in Milly-La-Forêt, ''Le Cyclop''.

1972-1975  In Jerusalem's Rabinovitch Park constructs a monster sculpture for children the "Golem". In Knokke-le-Zout, Belgium, constructs a play house for children "The Dragon" for the Nellens family. Writes and directs her first film "Daddy" in collaboration with Peter Whitehead. Permanently installs three monumental ''Nanas'' in the center of the city Hanover, Germany. Writes and directs a film ''Camelia and the Dragon".

1979-1996  Her major work during this time is the ''Tarot-Garden'' in Garavicchio in the south of Tuscany. A group of twenty two monumental sculptures, some of them living spaces, which are inspired by the 22 major arcana. They will be made in cement and covered in mosaic, mirrors, glass and ceramic.

1980-1986  Retrospective of Niki's at the Pompidou Center in Paris. Collaborates with Tinguely on the ''Stravinsky Fountain'' in front of the Pompidou Center. Starts a perfume to finance the construction of theTarot Garden. Installs a monumental sculpture the ''Sun God'' at the University of California in San Diego, USA. Writes and illustrates a book with Professor Silvio Barandun, "AIDS" : You Can't Catch It Holding Hands,'' which is translated and published in five languages.

1987-1993  President Mitterrand commissions Tinguely and Saint Phalle to make a fountain for theTown Square of Château-Chinon where he had been mayor. She makes a series of kinetic reliefs, or paintings in movement, called the ''Exploding Paintings''. A retrospective of Saint Phalle's work is organized by the Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle of Bonn, Germany, by Pontus Hulten, which travels to the McLellan, Glasgow, Scotland, to the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, and the Museum of Art and History of Frilbourg, Switzerland. Permanent installment in Duisburg, Germany, of a large sculpture called "Bird in Love''.

1994-1997  Moves to and works in California. Makes a series of 8 silk-screens called ''California Diary". Collaborates with the architect, Mario Botta, on a project for the construction of "Noah's Ark" in Jerusalem, Israel. Makes a dragon play house for children in stone, glass and ceramic in Southern California for friends. Is preparing a ten meter "Protecting Angel" for the Zurich Station of CFS Swiss Railroad.

The Magician  /   The High Prestess  /   The Weel of Fortune  /   Strength  /   The Sun  /   Death  /   The Devil  /   The World  /   The Fool  /   The Hierophant  /   The Hanged Man  /   Justice  /   The Choice (the lovers)  /   The Hermit  /   The Falling Tower  /   The Emperor  /   The Empress  /   The Chariot  /   The Star  /   The Judgment  /   Temperance  /   The Moon