For her first solo exhibition in the United States, Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos will present a series of sculptures that transform mass produced porcelain statuary (ceramic crabs, snakes etc.) into unique objects through the addition of handcrafted crochet covers. Vasconcelos will also present one of her Valquiria (Valkyrie) sculptures-a massive, many armed, colorful knitted airborne creation that recalls both the heroic and domestic functions of the Norse deities it is named after. Combining traditional and industrial everyday media and distinctive motifs from traditional Portuguese arts and crafts, Vasconcelos generates art that not only questions cultural identity and value, but also the social roles traditionally assigned to men and women.

Vasconcelos was born in 1971 in Paris, France and lives and works in Oeiras, Portugal. She has exhibited widely and her recent solo exhibitions have been presented at venues including the Caixa Foundation, Barcelona (2006); Galeria Elba Benitez, Madrid (2005), and the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporaneo, Seville (2003). Her work has also been featured in group exhibitions such as Venice-Istanbul, Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Istanbul (2006); Always a Little Further, Arsenale, Venice Biennale (2005), and O Contrato Social, Museum Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, Lisbon (2005).