"I’ve always thought that the history of art is the history of men. My work is about my relationship to that history. I’m just trying to find a place for myself in it" - Deborah Kass
Deborah Kass is a prominent American artist whose work unapologetically critiques the male-dominated history of art through a lens of feminism, Jewish identity, and pop culture. Best known for her "Warhol Project," she famously appropriated Andy Warhol's signature style to elevate her own heroes—such as Barbra Streisand—into the pop art canon, questioning who is traditionally granted "icon" status. Her practice spans painting, photography, and large-scale neon sculpture, including the celebrated OY/YO installation, which blends Yiddish and urban slang to claim space for marginalized identities. By "sampling" the aesthetic language of the Great Masters, Kass transforms art history into a personal and political dialogue about visibility and belonging.