My husband's family was terribly refined. Within their circle you could know Beethoven, but God forbid if you were Beethoven.

True strength is delicate.

I think most artists create out of despair. The very nature of creation is not a performing glory on the outside, it's a painful, difficult search within.

When you put things together, things that other people have thrown out, you’re really bringing them to life – a spiritual life that surpasses the life for which they were originally created.

No matter how individual we humans are, we are a composite of everything we are aware of. We are a mirror of our times.

I always wanted to show the world that art is everywhere, except it has to pass through a creative mind.

Most of us have to be transplanted before we blossom.

You take a painting, you have a white, virginal piece of canvas that is the world of purity, and then you put your imagery on it, and you try to bring it back to the original purity.

It gave me great pleasure to think that I could take wood, make it good, and make people like Rockefeller buy it with paper money.

I make collages. I join the shattered world creating a new harmony.

I think all great innovations are built on rejections.

No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.

… I suppose that it is not so easy to go home and it takes a bit of time to make a son out of a stranger.

We are all roamers of vast spaces and travelers in many ages.

My philosophy is that the most important aspect of any religion should be human kindness. And to try to ease the suffering of others. To try to bring light and love into the lives of mankind.

Beauty comes naturally, but it's hard to be stunning by accident.

My life is perfect because I accept it as it is.

I think the power of image is in mystery - I endlessly create mysteries, by way of this dystopian message, to initiate intrigue.

We all either work for rich people or we sell stuff to rich people, so just punishing rich people is as bad for the economy as punishing anyone. Let's not punish anyone.

I don't want to send my money to a bunch of Hugo Chavez-loving, Ivy League ideologically educated, politically opportunistic careerist in Washington, D.C.

You believe what you want to believe. You see, you don't have to live like a refugee.