Joan Naomi Semmel

Place: New York City

Born: 1932

Biography:

Joan Semmel is an American feminist painter, professor, and writer. She is best known for her large-scale naturalistic nude self portraits as seen from her perspective looking down. Semmel was born in New York City and began her artistic training at Cooper Union, where she studied under Nicholas Marsicano. She is a major figure in the feminist art movement and her work often explores themes of the female body, sexuality, and the male gaze. Semmel has received numerous awards for her contributions to the art world, including the Women's Caucus for Art Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013 and the Anonymous Was A Woman Award in 2016. Her work is held in the collections of major museums such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the National Museum of Women in the Arts.