The man in the photograph is the renowned artist and chess player Marcel Duchamp. Without knowing the identities of the figures or the background story, this image evoked strong emotions in me, as all great art should. My initial interpretation was that women needed to earn their invitation from men to join the business game. Indeed, the story behind this photo, taken by Julian Wasser in 1963, is not far from my interpretation.

The photograph tells the story of Eva Babitz, a talented young artist who was initially not invited to a high-profile art party organized by the prominent artist and patron Walter Hopps. To gain visibility and make a memorable impression, Babitz decided to attend the event provocatively by posing nude while playing chess with Marcel Duchamp.

Eve Babitz's chess game with Marcel Duchamp is a striking symbol of how women often had to "earn their ticket" to male-dominated spaces. As Lili Anolik wrote, "passing herself off as a groupie allowed Eve to infiltrate, edge into territory from which she'd otherwise have been barred."

This story, where Babitz used her body to gain an invitation, stirred anger in me, as it mirrors how women were often expected to conform to men's rules to be recognized in business.

My art collection, Part of the Game, challenges this perception. Featuring successful women in high heels (which emphasizes their ownership of femininity) confidently standing on a chessboard, it reclaims the narrative, demonstrating that women don’t need an invitation to the game—they are already integral players who are not only participating but mastering it on their own terms.