A close-up shot from under the sculpture showing the detailed bronze and stainless steel work around the Maman's body

Maman by Louise Bourgeois

Through marble, bronze and stainless steel, Bourgeois reveals the beauty in an initially intimidating object.

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This giant spider sculpture sits in Qatar’s National Convention Centre – an unexpected home that makes it all the more striking. It stops visitors in their tracks, allowing them to encounter breathtaking art in an everyday setting.

Bourgeois captures a fragile moment, where a protective mother carries her eggs. She explores the meaning of motherhood and alludes to the strength of her own mother, whom she lost at the age of twenty-one.

Her mother repaired tapestries in her father's textile workshop, so the metaphors of spinning and weaving are striking. The sculpture draws onlookers in, connecting them to personal memories around the early stages of life.

The spider is an ode to my mother. She was my best friend. Like a spider, my mother was a weaver. Spiders are friendly presences that are helpful and protective, just like my mother.

Louise Bourgeois, Artist

A portrait view of a visitor standing right next to the larger-than-life sculpture at QNCC

The iconic sculpture is located at the Qatar National Convention Centre