Judy Chicago is a globally celebrated American feminist artist and writer, as well as prestigious art educator. Her expansive and highly collaborative art installations delve into the nuances of creation and birth, unfolding into deep explorations of women throughout history and across diverse cultures. The visionary was named Judy Cohen upon her birth in the city of Chicago, Illinois, and honed her instinctive creativity at the Art Institute of Chicago in addition to the University of California, Los Angeles.
With an initial focus on developing Minimalist works, Chicago’s magnetic artistry was spotlighted at The Jewish Museum of New York’s legendary “Primary Structures” presentation in 1966. This era brought about a powerful feminist drive in the artist, who in turn opted to alter her last name to Chicago in homage to her birth place. In 1970, her ardent passion to help build the feminist pedagogy on behalf of female art students led to Chicago’s establishment of an inaugural Feminist Art Program within California State University, Fresno. On the heels of this significant enterprise, during the following year, Chicago aligned with fellow artist Miriam Schapiro in co-founding the groundbreaking Feminist Art Program at California Institute of the Arts, Valencia. Dynamic partnership between the two visionaries and their students culminated in an innovative installation titled Womanhouse (1972), which saw an abandoned edifice majestically evolve into an immersive voyage through the personal experiences of women.
The mid to late 1970’s gave life to Chicago’s eminent work: The Dinner Party (1974-1979). Embracing the prismatic and little seen history of women throughout the ages, the sweeping endeavor reveals place settings meant for 39 pivotal figures. The quintessential and collaborative project interweaves classic women’s crafts, including ceramics, embroidery, and needlepoint. In a fierce and ongoing pursuit to illuminate the multifaceted female experience, Chicago cultivated singular undertakings for a worldwide audience such as The Birth Project (1980–1985) and The Holocaust Project (1985–1993).
An illustrious lecturer and writer, the luminary has held professorial positions at major institutions such as Duke University, Indiana University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A myriad of prestigious awards bestowed upon the artist throughout her revolutionary career include grants by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Getty Foundation, as well as four honorary doctorates. Chicago has joined forces with her husband, notable photographer Donald Woodman, on numerous creative and teaching ventures.
In 2019, the ever-inspired artist debuted a solo show of new works at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, “The End: A Meditation on Death and Extinction,” which was followed by a major solo exhibition of rarely seen 60s and 70s treasures at Jeffrey Deitch in Los Angeles. In 2023 in New York, the New Museum unveiled “Judy Chicago: Herstory,” a comprehensive survey show sponsored by Dior. Currently on view this year through September 1, rejoicing in the icon’s six-decade career, is “Revelations” at Serpentine in London. The rich presentation charts her expansive trajectory with a particular emphasis on drawing and rarely seen works, marking her largest solo exhibition in a London institution.
