About Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman (born 1954 in New Jersey) is one of the most influential American contemporary artists, internationally renowned for her groundbreaking contributions to photography and conceptual art. Working primarily through self-portraiture, Sherman explores themes of identity, gender, and representation, transforming herself with costumes, makeup, and prosthetics to embody a wide range of characters. From glamorous film stars to anonymous everyday figures, her photographs challenge the notion of a fixed identity and reveal how cultural narratives and media shape perceptions of femininity, beauty, and power.

Her early series, Untitled Film Stills (1977–1980), remains one of the most iconic bodies of work in contemporary art. These black-and-white photographs, styled like publicity stills from mid-20th-century cinema, highlight cinematic stereotypes of women while exposing their constructed nature. Sherman has continued to expand her practice with later series that incorporate elements of horror, grotesque caricature, and digital manipulation, pushing the boundaries of photography as both a medium and a cultural mirror.

In addition to her unique photographs, Cindy Sherman has produced numerous fine art prints and limited editions. These works extend the reach of her artistic vision, making her images accessible to a broader audience while maintaining exclusivity through limited availability. Highly sought after by collectors, her prints and photographs embody the same conceptual rigor as her unique works, offering incisive commentary on contemporary culture, identity, and self-representation.

Across her career, Sherman has consistently redefined how portraiture and photography can function as tools of critique, making her a central figure in the discourse of postmodern and contemporary art. Her work continues to inspire new generations of artists while remaining a cornerstone of international museum collections and exhibitions.

Notable exhibitions

Cindy Sherman’s photography has been featured in landmark exhibitions that underscore her central role in contemporary art. Her breakthrough came with the debut of Untitled Film Stills at the Metro Pictures Gallery in New York in the early 1980s, a series that has since become a cornerstone of postmodern art.

She has been the subject of major retrospectives at leading institutions worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York (2012), which presented a comprehensive survey of her work, and the Jeu de Paume, Paris (2006), which later toured to Berlin and Stockholm. Other significant solo exhibitions include presentations at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis (1997), the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York (1987), and the National Portrait Gallery in London (2019), where her ability to blur fiction and reality was explored in depth.

Sherman’s work has also been prominently featured in international group exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale and documenta, further highlighting her lasting global impact. These exhibitions demonstrate how her photography and limited edition prints continue to challenge conventions of portraiture, identity, and representation across diverse cultural contexts.