Feminist conceptual artist Hannah Wilke broke new ground in the 1970s and 1980s by making art that celebrated female sexuality, and pioneered the use of nudity and vaginal forms. This paper employs psychoanalytic tools to better understand Wilke's treatment of issues pertaining to female beauty, sexuality, narcissism, aging, and illness. It also explores the complex relationship between gender and creativity. Wilke's relationships—most significantly with her mother and the men in her life—are shown to inform her work and lend it profound and moving psychological significance.