Liz Cohen operates at the intersection of photography, performance, and object-making, boldly exploring identity, gender, labor, and cultural hybridity. She often immerses herself in subcultures, using her own body and persona as part of the piece, transforming both herself and her surroundings to challenge and interrogate social and cultural norms. Her projects frequently blur the line between documentary and performance. In BODYWORK, Cohen rebuilt a Trabant car into an El Camino lowrider while adopting the persona of a car customizer and bikini model, challenging gender expectations and the sexualized portrayal of women in automotive culture. Later works, such as BODY MAGIC, continued to explore the representation of women’s bodies within subcultural contexts, drawing on historical and contemporary visual references, including bodybuilding and lowrider aesthetics. Cohen’s practice also engages with objects and installations that probe labor, migration, and historical memory. Through careful craftsmanship, performative engagement, and photographic documentation, her work encourages viewers to reflect on how identity is constructed, performed, and mediated. By combining physical transformation, social observation, and conceptual inquiry, Cohen creates immersive experiences that challenge expectations and highlight the fluidity of personal and cultural identity. ...
