Deborah Klein’s visual language is distinct. Through it, she explores feminism and women’s histories, shining light on those absent from history in often unexpected ways. Working across a wide-ranging practice that includes linocut printmaking and intricately detailed acrylic paintings, Klein constructs layered artistic narratives that resonate with both historical and contemporary significance.

In many of Klein’s paintings, the faces of her female subjects are partially concealed or obscured by masks. These masks operate on multiple levels: they adorn the figure with a seductively decorative surface while simultaneously creating a sense of distance. The sitter becomes detached and enigmatic, her interior world withheld from the viewer.

In her 2024 painting 'Rose Arbour', concealment takes the form of delicately rendered roses that trail across the subject’s face, both decorating and masking her features. The roses reference the designs of May Morris, the daughter of William Morris. May Morris was a significant advocate for women’s creative recognition, founding the Women’s Guild of Arts in 1907 in response to the exclusion of women from the Art Workers’ Guild. In characteristic fashion, Klein uses her carefully composed portrait to invoke women’s histories, drawing attention to narratives that have often been overlooked.

Represented in public collections including the National Gallery of Victoria, Klein has won several awards over her career, including the Grand Prize, Silk Cut Award for Linocut Printmaking. In 2008 the survey show ‘Deborah Klein: Out of the Past 1995 - 2007’ toured to Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historical Museum, the Art Gallery of Ballarat, Warrnambool Art Gallery and Deakin University Art Gallery, Victoria. For collectors of contemporary and feminist art, this work is a compelling find.

Deborah KLEIN (1951 - )
'Rose Arbour' 2024
Acrylic on canvas panel
Image Size: 30 x 30 cm
Dimensions: 32 x 32 x 4 cm
Signed: Signed and titled on verso.

Comes with Letter of Provenance

Condition:Excellent.

(c) The Artist or Assignee