Born Havana, Cuba
Lives and works in New York City
Education
1995
M.F.A., Photography, Yale University of Art, New Haven, CT
1991
B.F.A., Photography and Printmaking, Purchase College, Purchase NY
Solo Exhibitions
2019
Deborah Mesa-Pelly, Latchkey, Honey Ramka, Brooklyn NY
2017
Deborah Mesa-Pelly, Carpet Grotto, Honey Ramka, Brooklyn NY
2015
Deborah Mesa-Pelly, Freddie, Bread, Curtains, Honey Ramka, Brooklyn, NY
2003
Deborah Mesa-Pelly, Sandroni Rey, Venice, CA
The Verge: Deborah Mesa-Pelly, Plains Art Museum, Fargo, ND
2001
Recreation, Lombard-Freid Fine Arts, New York, NY
1999
Safety, Lombard-Freid Fine Arts, New York, NY
Forefront Gallery, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN
Palacio de Abrantes, Imago 2000, Salamanca, Spain
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024
Feminist Textures of Perseverance, James Gallery, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY
2020
Selections from the Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC
LandEscapes, Davis Orton Gallery, Hudson, NY
Queens College Faculty Exhibition, Queens College Art Gallery, Queens, NY
2018
America Seen: Photography from the Permanent Collection, Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase, NY
2016
Redeux (Sort of) Kai Matsumiya Gallery, New York, NY
2014
Jeff Davis, Deborah Mesa-Pelly, Michael Wetzel. Honey Ramka, Brooklyn, NY
Queens College Studio Art Faculty Exhibition. Godwin-Ternbach Museum, Queens, NY
2012
Selections from the Hoggard Wagner Collection. English Kills Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2011
Lucky Draw 2011, The Sculture Center, New York, NY
2010
The Library of Babell/ In and Out of Place, 176/ Zabludowicz Collection, London, England
2009
Telling Secrets: Codes, Captions and Conundrums in Contemporary Art, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC
Edia Int'l Group, Foundation Barbin, New York, NY
Disorganized, Museum 52, New York, NY
2008
Benefit Art Auction, The Kitchen, New York, NY
Great Women Artists: Selections from the Permanent Collection, Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase, NY
2007
In Exchange, curated by Mauro Restiffe, Casa Triangulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
New at the Neuberger: Recent Acquisitions, Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase, NY
2006
Kamp K48, curated by Scott Hug, John Connelly Presents, New York, NY
sight/ insight, Photographs from the Permanent Collection, Contemporary Photography from the Heather and Tony Podesta Collection, The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
2005
Is There Anybody Out There, Hiromi Yoshii Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
The Zine Unbound, Kults, Werewolves and Sarcastic Hippies, curator Scott Hug, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
2004
Frieze Art Fair, London, England
K-48 Art Benefit, New York
Photo/ Works, The Richard and Dolly Mass Gallery, Purchase, NY
2002
Sam Collects Contemporary Art Projects, Seattle Art Museum, WA
Hot and New in 2002: A Print and Photography Exhibition, Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY
Faux/ Real, Borusan Art Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
Ophelia Rising, Tyler Gallery, Temple University, University of Philadelphia, PA
Arrested Development, Castle Gallery, College of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, NY
Desiring Machines, Dorsky Gallery, New York, NY
Masquerade, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI
Champion, Zinc Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden
2001
Another Cusp, curated by Gregory Volk and Sabine Russ, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY
A Life in Paradise, Magazine 4, Bregenz, Austria
2000
Suspendidos, Sala de Exposiciones de Canal de Isabel II, Madrid, Spain
Emotional Rescue, Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA
Staged, Bonakdar Joncou Fine Arts, New York, NY
Nothing in Common, Audillo Fine Arts, New York, NY
Greater New York, P.S. 1- Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
Pause/ Pose, Galerie Anne de Villepoix, Paris, France
Parallax, Sandroni Rey, Los Angeles, CA
1999
In My Room, White Columns, New York, NY
Surveying the Landscape, Lombard-Freid Fine Arts, New York, NY
Public Collections
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase, NY
Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA
The International Center of Photography, New York, NY
Centro de Photographia, Salamanca, Spain
Orange County Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC
Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, NJ
National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington DC
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA
Selected Bibliography
2020
Cotton, Charlotte. "The Photograph as Contemporary Art," New Edition, Thames & Hudson World of Art 4th Edition, September 8, 2020
Stanto Staikos, Susie. “The World Through a Lens” Cultural Council for Palm Beach County, January 17, 2020
2018
2017
Moody, Tom. «Adolf Loos' Bedroom» tommoody.us, April 29
2012
Webster, Frank. «Photo of the Day: Interior Interventions,» Photo District News, April
2009
Chan, Dawn. «Telling Secrets: Codes, Captions and Conundrums in Contemporary Art,» Art Forum.com, December
2005
Weinstein, Emily. "Artist Page: Deborah Mesa-Pelly," Jane Magazine, January
2004
Hug, Scott. "K-48 is an Animal," K-48, December
2003
Freeman, Rusty. "The Verge: Deborah Mesa-Pelly" (Catalog) Plains Art Museum, ND
Hackett, Regina. "Contemporary Art Project Vividly Takes on Hot- Button Issues," Seattle Post- Intelligencer, January 3
Young, Tara Reddy. "What ifs: Constructed Identities and Imaginary Places in the Contemporary Art Project Collection," (Catalog) Seattle Art Museum, WA
Myers, Holly. "A style still shaping our world," Los Angeles Times, May 3
Gaines, Malik. Deborah Mesa-Pelly, Tema Celeste, No. 99 September- October
Kerr, Merrily. "Breaking Up is Hard to Do," Flash Art International, October
2002
Marvelli, Marcello and Helaine Posner. Desiring Machines: Hans Bellmer and Surrealist Strategies in Contemporary Photography, (Catalog) Dorsky Gallery, Long Island City, NY
Skarf, Shayna. Review: "Recreation," Time Out New York, April
Johnson, Ken. "Desiring Machines," The New York Times, May 3
Lombardi, Dominic. "Arrested Development: Contemporary Contemplations on Adolescence and Youth," The New York Times, March 3
Sirmans, Franklin. "Friends and Family," Time Out New York, July 11-18
2001
Aletti, Vince. "Voice Choices," The Village Voice, October 2
Wilson, Michael. " Recreation," Art Monthly, November
Johnson, Ken. "Recreation," The New York Times, September 28
Vincent, Steven. "Alice in Levittown," Art and Auction, March
2000
Imago 2000 Monograph, "Deborah Mesa-Pelly," Centro de Fotographia, Salamanca, Spain, with essay's by Roxana Marcoci
Dailey, Meghan. "The Greater New York Show," Artpress, July- August
Ollman, Leah. “Parallax” group show at Sandroni Rey Gallery, Los Angles Times, March 31
Kino, Carol. "The Emergent Factor," Art in America" July
Mohoney, Robert. "Safety," Time Out New York, February 3-10
Cotter, Holland. "As Crowds Flow into Chelsea, "The New York Times," January 21
Aletti, Vince. " The Great Escape," The Village Voice, January 18
Chambers, Christopher. "Deborah Mesa-Pelly," Flash Art, March/April