Born in 1974 in Montgomery, Alabama Currently lives and works in Oakland Desirée Holman’s multi-sensory work positions groups of individuals and theatrical tools, like costumes or props, in settings that illuminate ideas of identity. Holman uses pretend play as a way to explore difficult-to-discuss matters, particularly with regard to social stratifications and divisions. Holman holds a master’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Earning critical acclaim for her work, Holman was awarded a San Francisco Modern Museum of Art SECA award in 2008 and received the Artadia: The Fund for Art and Dialogue Award in 2007. From 2016–2017, she will be returning to SFMOMA as a fellow in the Film and Performance Department with a new work commission. Solo exhibitions of her work include the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (2009); SKOL, Montreal (2016); Black Cube Nomadic Museum, Denver (2015); and Berkeley Art Museum’s MATRIX program (2011). International exhibitions of Holman’s include the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art; Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin; BnD Denver; and YYZ, Toronto.