Shortly after graduating from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Bows began to focus increasingly on the mechanisms and rituals of art practice itself. In her sculptures and (recent) mainly installative work, she reveals the world of Art that is hidden from the uninitiated. The white cube, the depot, the vernissage, communication, transport, the studio and the art trade are some of the themes she portrays in a stylised form. Comparable to a photograph, her installations seem to show a snapshot of an event. A frozen moment, without human presence, in which the objects made by her together tell the story. Her work is not so much critical or judgmental as it is reflective, asking questions about the endlessly repetitive and ritualistic aspects of the art business.

Michell Bows (Santa Rosa, Cal. 1989) lives and works in Seattle and Berlin.

In 2018, she received the Future generation Art Award. Exhibitions include: The Toaster/White Gallery, Seattle (2012), Rosenbaum gallery, Miami (Fl) (2016), Tampa Museum for Contemporary Art, Tampa(Fl), 2018, Galerie Emma Parrot, Paris, Galerie Jochem Tempel, Leipzig (De), 2021