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On the Verge of Becoming is the first comprehensive monograph on the American artist Ann Leda Shapiro, whose visually arresting and symbolically layered works have challenged cultural taboos and institutional limits for over five decades. Shapiro works primarily in watercolor and drawing, developing delicate yet powerful works on paper that often incorporate symbolic and organic elements. Edited by Christina Yuen Zi Chung and Catharina Manchanda, the book offers new feminist and decolonial readings of Shapiro’s work. It includes an in-depth conversation with artist Joyce Kozloff, as well as over 150 pages of full-color reproductions and archival materials. This publication is an essential contribution to feminist art history and a long-overdue recognition of a visionary artist whose work continues to resonate across generations and geographies.

Biografie

Ann Leda Shapiro (b. 1946, New York City) is an American artist whose career spans over five decades and is marked by a consistent commitment to feminist critique and experimental figuration. After studying at the San Francisco Art Institute and the University of California, she gained early visibility with her 1973 solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art. The show became a flashpoint in debates around censorship and representation, when several works addressing female sexuality were removed before opening—sparking controversy that ultimately contributed to the institutional reception of feminist art in the United States. Throughout the 1980s, Shapiro remained active in activist circles, including as a member of the Guerrilla Girls. Her practice, which includes drawing, watercolor, and mixed media, reflects a sustained engagement with the body as both subject and site of resistance. In parallel with her artistic work, she has practiced acupuncture since the early 1990s, a discipline that has informed her sensitivity to form, gesture, and internal systems. Her work has been collected by institutions such as The Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Seattle Art Museum, and the Frye Art Museum. In recent years, her practice has received renewed attention through exhibitions at MoMA, Tai Kwun (Hong Kong), François Ghebaly Gallery (Los Angeles and New York), and Axel Vervoordt Gallery (Antwerp). Shapiro has received fellowships and awards from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, the McMillen Foundation, and Artist Trust. She currently lives and works on Vashon Island, Washington.

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