From Hello Kitty Monument to Koons Ruins

Kathy Aoki is a multi-disciplinary, conceptual artist who uses satire to critique the absurd value systems that dominate gendered expectations, pop culture, and the art market. Her tongue-in-cheek themes include Hello Kitty Monument, disgraced patriarchal monuments, and "Koons Ruins" - an imaginary estate where Jeff Koons work goes to die. Past awards include a 2025 Creative Capital grant and residencies at the Montalvo Arts Center, MacDowell, the Headlands Center for the Arts, and Masereel (Belgium). Aoki has completed commissions for institutions such as the San Francisco Arts Commission and the San Jose Museum of Art. She lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area where she is a Professor of Studio Art at Santa Clara University.