Rachel Lachowicz

Rachel Lachowicz is a professor of studio art at the School of Arts and Humanities, Claremont Graduate University, where she teaches in the Art Department. Based in Los Angeles, she is an internationally recognized artist with works in major institutions including the Whitney Museum of American Art, LACMA, MOCA LA, and the Israel Museum.

• BFA, California Institute of the Arts

Her research centers on feminist conceptual practices, materiality, and social politics. Through the use of cosmetics—such as lipstick and eyeshadow—she reconfigures canonical modernist works to challenge patriarchal art histories. Her practice spans installation, performance, sculpture, and pigment-based works, often exploring identity, mark-making, and gendered materials. She is associated with movements including appropriation art, post-minimalism, and conceptual art.

The recurring themes in her artistic output include feminist reinterpretation of modernism, material transformation, and institutional critique. Her works frequently engage with the legacy of male artists like Carl Andre and Marcel Duchamp, repurposing their forms through a feminist lens. The use of cosmetic materials introduces sensuality, temporality, and vulnerability into minimalist structures.

Her notable awards include:

• John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship
• Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award

Lachowicz has over 20 years of graduate-level teaching experience and an extensive lecture record. She previously served on the Santa Monica Arts Commission and the Santa Monica Public Art Committee, and was on the board of the Santa Monica Arts Foundation for 12 years. She has exhibited widely, including at the Armory Show, LACMA, and the Tang Teaching Museum.

Her studio practice includes large-scale installations and performances, often created in collaboration with galleries such as Shoshana Wayne Gallery. She continues to produce innovative work that bridges conceptual rigor with aesthetic richness.