The works – both big in size and the statements they make – challenge societal perceptions of the role of women, which is a thread that runs through much of her art.
Hongkongers will be able to get up close to Vasconcelos’ art at her first exhibition in the city.
Called “ArtisTree Selects: Enchanted Forest”, the immersive exhibition, comprising two specially made pieces, will be held at ArtisTree and Two Taikoo Place in Hong Kong’s Quarry Bay district from March 22 until April 28.
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Exhibiting in non-traditional spaces has been less than easy at times, but Vasconcelos has embraced the challenges with gusto.
“By stepping outside of museums and galleries, I encounter and interact with the public in a different way, and vice versa,” she tells the Post. “I am faced with the unknown, how the public will look at my work, ebb and flow with the movement of people, creating a new dialogue.
“For artists, and for all of us, we must find new challenges and put ourselves in new situations. Otherwise, you risk repeating yourself.”
For her Hong Kong show, Vasconcelos wants visitors to feel like they are immersed in a different dimension, much like how she feels when she visits the city.
“When I first came to Hong Kong I thought I was inside Blade Runner,” she says, referring to the neon-soaked, dystopian 1982 thriller directed by Ridley Scott. “I’m thrilled to be back.”
Creating a “wow moment”, she says, is the end goal. “Nothing makes me happier than seeing someone leave one of my exhibitions with a smile on their face,” she says.
Anyone not wowed by her work should be relegated to the “too hard to please basket”. It’s not just the scale of her works that is impressive but the time taken to create them.
“All the things that you see in my work are completely handmade,” she says. “People can feel the hours put into it, the stitch and the craftsmanship.”
One piece, called Enchanted Forest, which features in the show, took a team of 60 people six months to make. Illuminated by LED lights, it is inspired by Hong Kong’s “forest” of concrete towers that comes alive at night.
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“I love using LED lights and embedding electricity through the knitting, which is an incredible feat, connecting crafts and technology,” she says.
Another piece on show is Valkyrie Seondeok, a homage to the first female monarch in Korean history, the piece part of her long-running series exploring Valkyrie, a figure in Norse mythology. The towering installation will dominate the lobby of Two Taikoo Place.
Commentary on contemporary issues of feminism and societal identity are woven into many of Vasconcelos’ works.
In 2012 she became the youngest artist and first woman to exhibit at the Palace of Versailles in France. Her exhibition was the most seen there in 50 years, with a record 1.6 million visitors.
“I’m fortunate to have achieved certain milestones in the art world but I’m always left wondering as to why it did not happen to so many talented female artists before me,” she says.
I was born with art in my veins
It’s not surprising that people flock to her shows. Her pieces might carry heavy messages about female empowerment but she delivers them in a light, colourful, and uplifting way that resonates with audiences of all ages and from all walks of life.
Flying the flag for Portugal is also important.
“Art reflects our own identity, and I was always strongly influenced by my Portuguese roots,” she says. “I grew up in Portugal, and the wealth of Portuguese culture is just so mesmerising to the eye.
“The connection between arts and crafts is a recurring motif in my sculptures. Every tile, ceramic, textile, embroidery, jewellery, and gilded woodwork wove their way into my work with lots of colour and shining light,” she says.
“I was born with art in my veins,” she says. “Growing up, I was surrounded by a family related to arts in different ways that harnessed my creativity.
“My grandmother was a painter, my mother dabbled in drawing and decorating, my aunt is a poet, and my father is a photographer and my parents’ friends were artists.”
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For Vasconcelos,, a lot of joy comes from seeing people form their own connection with her art.
“I believe that once an artwork is completed, it becomes its own entity, detached from the artist,” says Vasconcelos.
“I do not believe in telling people what they should see and feel, and I am always amazed by what people project on my artworks, what interpretations spring to life, which are always connected to intimate life experiences.”
ArtisTree Selects: Enchanted Forest, March 22- April 28, 2024. Monday-Friday (12nn-8pm); Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays (11am-8pm). ArtisTree, 1/F Cambridge House, Taikoo Place; and 1/F Lobby, Two Taikoo Place, 979 King’s Rd, Quarry Bay. Free. Book a visit on the Taikoo Place website or Taikoo Place App.
