Claes Oldenburg (January 28, 1929) is a sculptor and painter best known for his public art installations typically featuring oversized replicas of everyday objects. Born in Stockholm, Sweden, Oldenburg grew up in Chicago due to his father’s status as a diplomat. In 1946, Oldenburg began studying art history at Yale University; he then went on to study at the Art Institute of Chicago. Ten years later, Oldenburg moved to New York and began work in the library of the Cooper Union Museum for the Arts of Decoration where he continued to study art history on his own. While in New York, he met popular abstract expressionist artists Jim Dine, Red Grooms, and Allan Kaprow. In the 1960s, Oldenburg became associated with the Pop Art movement and created many happenings (performance art events). Numerous works during the 1970s were collaborations with his wife of thirty-two years, Coosje va Bruggen, who passed away in 2009. He continues to live and work in New York. Oldenburg has received commendations including the National Medal of Arts (2000) and several honorary degrees. His artwork is held in collections such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk.