Nadia Lee Cohen has a knack for turning symbols of distinctly American bad taste: fast food, Sunday morning cartoons, and the seedy glamour of a Las Vegas Motel at two am, into something remarkably beautiful.

As a British—but now (mostly) LA-based—multimedia artist Lee Cohen has concocted a vision— dare we even say an aesthetic—based on her fascination with “interpretations of Americana”; a twisted version of reality evoking the people she’s met from all corners of the American Dream. From fantastically plasticky Hollywood starlets to the seedier inhabitants of Mega Malls and rodeos, Lee Cohen takes these archetypes and masterfully brings them to life in her videos and photography—armed with self-made prosthetics, SFX makeup, and expansive vintage props she finds in second-hand shops—these are the final touches making her personas eerie yet believable.

Even with a creative universe encompassing films with Beyonce, editorials with Kim K, and original photo books, with her most iconic entitled Women a series of 100 semi-nude portraits published in 2020 by Idea, Nadia Lee Cohen never strays from her clear stylistic vision, even when collaborating with this generation's best. In a manner that would make Mr. Warhol proud, Lee Cohen’s work has managed to reach audiences ranging from fine art lovers to the museum adverse, thanks to her recurring trademark imagery: Uncanny valley-like posed models, acrylic nails, fake tans, references from Western movies, and tongue in cheek humour that speaks to viewers enchanted with her works deeper symbolism. Her visual message is so ironclad that the phrase “Nadia Lee Cohen-esque” has become a widely understood description of a vibe acutely felt by those living under the slowly crumbling “U.S Empire” of consumer culture.

Nadia Lee Cohen’s newest endeavour, Women Pirated Edition; is an art book that’s already sold out once. It’s purposely arranged to look like a bootleg (doujinshi) version of the artist's previously released hit Women. The project not only touches upon her interpretations of Americana but goes a layer further, hinting at Japan's rich history of America-core visuals and media that bloomed after WWII, when the American military’s occupation of Japan led to some interesting hybrids of Western goods. It’s the cultural fusion responsible for influencing anime such as Astro Boy, denim, omurice, and of course, bootleg fan zines called doujinshi amongst other beloved innovations. In true doujinshi fashion, Lee Cohen’s Pirated Edition details the making of Women and picks up where the legendary book left off, showing the BTS, outtakes, lists, and other precious detritus that made the initial artbook possible. As the cherry on top, Women Pirated Edition features an "OBI" designed by VERDY, one of the greats of modern Japanese graphic design.

GATA had the opportunity to interview Nadia Lee Cohen in Tokyo for the release and book signing of Women: Pirated Edition, alongside VERDY and Charlie Denis at Dover Street Market Ginza; discussing everything from her current fascinations, her creative process, and what she loves about Tokyo.

GATA: Americana, albeit an unsettling but beautiful vision of it, is at the heart of your work. But Americana can be such a broad concept [it’s everything from roadside chapels in Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon–a big leap]; what parts of “Americana” are most fascinating to you right now?

Nadia: Now that I spend most of my time here, that question is becoming increasingly difficult to answer. I’m still fascinated by it, but I’ve realised now that it’s perhaps the interpretation of “Americana” rather than “Americana” itself. I’m still very inspired by the aesthetic details that come along with existing here; things like looking down at the way my breakfast looks on a wooden Formica table, noticing the graphics on a little packet of salt or butter, like an accidental Eggleston still life. That’s always going to be charming to me, but recently I’ve loved seeing those influences in other countries where they’re either consciously or subconsciously trying to replicate Americana in a foreign place.

For example on our first morning in Tokyo, we stayed at an Airbnb an hour outside of the city. We went on a jet-lagged hunt for coffee at 8 am, following some arrows and a “clip art” style drawing of a steaming cup up an escalator in a corporate building. At the top was a long line of businessmen in suits and a totally out-of-place mock American diner. Outside it had an external glass display cabinet showing off the plastic eggs, plastic toast and plastic waffles they were offering inside—this was enough to entice us in. It was all decked out like a typical diner, with leather booths, low-hanging stained glass lamps, wooden walls etc, and it was busy, with everyone munching and sipping away but in total silence. Not a sound apart from the soft diner music. This sort of strangeness has always interested me, but it’s especially heightened in a foreign place. The reinvention of something familiar, but the actual experience feeling totally off, as though we stepped inside a set of a diner rather than actually being in one.

GATA: You were raised in the remote countryside of England, but you’re able to dive deep into the archetypes/aesthetics of the US, in a way that other artists capturing the subject don’t. Do you feel like having some sort of “outsider” status has made you able to fall in love with American culture, flaws and all?

Nadia: There’s definitely a fascination that comes with unfamiliarity, it’s like the honeymoon period of a relationship where the other person can do no wrong, even if they’re being awful. The crux of my interest I think really stems from the colour palette of the environment I grew up in. For most of my formative years, I saw the green, brown, and faded yellow of the English countryside. It’s like being exposed to only Monet and then seeing Ed Ruscha for the first time. I think that’s why I was drawn so heavily to cartoons at a young age because it was something different, and a stark contrast to my environment. That’s how I felt towards America the first time I saw any photographs or footage of it, the hard graphic lines and bright colours replicated that of a “cartoon” and that was exciting to me. In terms of “flaws and all” cartoons are generally pretty flawed aren’t they? Today someone told me Peppa Pig is a penis, and she is, which I love.

GATA: Your new art book, Women PIRATED EDITION, is a riff on and behind-the-scenes look at your original release Women, what did you aim to do differently with this edition?

Nadia: I love the fanzine format and how intricate and obsessive it can be when delving into the undertaking of a project. I wanted to show the thought process, humour and the way that certain things can snowball or connect to another idea; a bit like how a spider map works. There was a lot physically left over from that project, things I kept, like little funny mementoes or objects that continued finding their way into other projects. Characters often morphing into each other and certain items getting recycled and reused to the point where they become a symbolic staple. I’m interested in noticing these details in other artists' work, sometimes more so than the actual work itself as it shows humanity and error.

GATA: The book also features an Obi designed by Verdy, an unexpected but very welcome collab from two different creative universes, how did you two first cross paths?

Nadia: I met Verdy the first time I went to Japan, I visited his studio and we got along really well. He’s so kind and talented, and also really appeals to my childhood cartoonish weak spot.

GATA: When you’re in Tokyo, are there any places you make sure to stop by? What’s your connection with the city?

Nadia: I love the gimmicks, there’s endless recommendations of people telling you to “go to this bar where the women dress like cats feed you milk from a bottle” or something “Kubricky” like that. The recommendations get weirder and weirder with everyone trying to outdo each other. I love the little hobbit-like bars in Golden Gai, and this bookstore on the top floor of an 80s mall; where we also discovered Takashi Murakami’s secret headquarters behind a fake cigarette shop. I love the vintage stores of course and the unexplainably delicious Lawson’s egg sandwich. One night we went to dinner as the only four guests in a couple’s living room and they took it in turns to cook us a four-course meal. I'm not even entirely sure it wasn’t a real restaurant, they played one Tony Bennet album on repeat and the CD was displayed alone on a shelf like a shrine.

GATA: A lot of Women Pirated Edition is a collection of items like lists, outtakes, and detritus detailing your creative process. But what's usually the first step you take toward realising a creative idea?

Nadia: Excitement about something and then an overwhelming compulsion for it to exist is usually the first step. If I don’t have this feeling then I struggle to find the enthusiasm to make something memorable. The actual noting down of an idea varies, it’s usually a physical note or a note on my phone. The best ideas come very early in the morning when I'm alone, calm and my brain is clear (my evening brain has a very low IQ). Japan allows for this as you’re basically living in the future. I’ve never felt more accomplished from just existing in another time zone. All my work is done before anyone has even woken up, which is the literal opposite to being in LA where I’m hours behind before I’ve even opened my eyes.

GATA: Your art comes to life because of its huge attention to world-building, the costumes, vintage accessories, and props all have a distinct feel to them-that’s both nostalgic and a bit unsettling. Aside from Palace Costume in LA, where do you source a lot of these items?

Nadia: Not so much Craigslist as you have to know what you’re looking for and I prefer to stumble upon things. I love UK charity shops in small towns or picking up things when I'm travelling that might make sense at a later date (I found a beautiful packet of “whipped butter” at Tokyo airport). I’m slowing down on the shit-collecting now though, I need to work on being more of a minimalist.

GATA: Online/print classifieds ads are where you find many of your models or ideas, what's your strangest encounter with someone you've met through one?

Nadia: They’re all a bit strange, but not in a bad way. It’s a bit like how I imagine meeting someone from a “lonely hearts” ad or an escort agency might feel like. You’re both there for a reason and you met online. Everyone has been lovely though.

GATA: Do you have any recurring dreams or nightmares?

Nadia: I rarely remember them and when I do I rarely repeat them as there’s nothing quite as boring as hearing about someone's dream, especially when you’re not in it. I tend to develop crushes on people I didn’t think I was attracted to outside of the dream world because of the dream, but I'd never tell them…because what if they found it boring?

GATA: When was the last time you felt star-struck?

Nadia: Schiaparelli show, Paris, January 22nd, 2024, sitting opposite David Sedaris.

GATA: Do you have any rituals [for example a morning routine/how to take your coffee]?

Nadia: I don’t necessarily have rituals, I travel so much that it’s hard to keep anything the same. But there are certain things I love, like breakfast. I LOVE breakfast. I tell my little nephew that going to sleep is fun because it’s the “time machine to breakfast”. Perhaps the most ritualistic I get is having a coffee and some sort of sweet thing religiously every single day. I’m weak for pastry in any form and love coffee because it feels like drugs without actually taking drugs.

GATA: What’s taking up most of your time these days?

Nadia: It was the book, and the launch of the book and now I'm working on something new that I have that overwhelming compulsion to bring to existence :)

GATA: The GATA team are big fans of cinema and we believe it can be a source of inspiration for artists. Is there any movie(s) that have influenced your work and life and are your must-watch recommendations?

Nadia: The Shining! Nothing beats it. Nothing will ever beat it, and when it does I will stop giving the same answer to this question.

GATA: Any last words/thoughts/epiphanies?

Nadia: Lawson’s egg sandwich.

Words by Ora Margolis
Creative Producer Marta Espinosa

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