Orly Cogan

In regard to her 2018-2019 exhibit "Don't Call Me Princess" at Brattleboro Museum & Art Center in Brattleboro, Vermont Cogan stated, "Ultimately, my quest is to tell a story about the role of women in our ever-changing society, all the while honoring the labors of the past. In the process, I aim to provoke certain questions within the context of constantly shifting boundaries that define our relationships and our identities: What role do women want to play in society today? Who do we want to be? What kind of relationships do we want to have? Who are our role models? What are we teaching our children? American women have grown up with fairy tales in our heads, and somehow that “happily ever after” idea is instilled early on. With my own daughter I saw how strongly princesses infiltrated her play, although she had no direct exposure to Disney movies or theme parks. I edited the few fairy tales we had, changing the sexist stories to empowering ones for my child's ears."

Orly Cogan was born in Jaffa, Israel in 1971. Cogan attended a Rudolf Steiner Waldorf School in her youth, attributing this education to her discovery of textiles as a medium. She stated, "The sense of freedom I felt to explore without fear of getting things wrong meant that I could become comfortable expressing myself visually." Cogan lives and works in Hudson Valley, New York. She was educated at The Cooper Union for Advancement of Science & Art and The Maryland Institute College of Art.