In her first solo exhibition in New York in nearly a decade, Coyne conceives ambitious tableaux that evoke cross-cultural themes of vanity, grief, and tragedy. Her richly layered, deeply psychological sculptures evince a long-standing interest in literature and literary figures, from Bruno Schulz to Joan Didion, and Japanese literature and film in particular.

Petah Coyne received an ACC fellowship in 1990 to survey traditonal and contemporary arts, meet with artists and curators, and create new work in Japan.