Named for a first-century leader in the area of present-day Portugal, Viriato comprises a commercially-made ceramic dog clad in elaborate needlework. The lacy covering masks the details of the sculpture beneath and also competes visually for our attention. By combining what is essentially a mass-produced lawn ornament with traditional crochet, Vasconcelos reveals the dissonance between handcrafted and manufactured. At the same time, she forces viewers to confront their preconceptions abou...| National Museum of Women in the Arts
Vasconcelos creates large-scale installations, often with performance components, which encourage viewers to walk through and touch them. She is also known for enveloping everyday objects—pianos, laptops, commercially produced decorative objects—in crocheted or knitted material. Through such works, she contrasts mass-produced and handcrafted and alludes to our values and associations with each.| National Museum of Women in the Arts