Joana Vasconcelos

Portuguese sculptor Joana Vasconcelos’ large-scale works are inspired by objects from everyday life.

Joana Vasconcelos was born in Paris in 1971 and lives and works in Lisbon.

Her sculptural practice employs strategies of appropriation, decontextualization, and subversion to reconfigure everyday objects and realities.

Pavillon de Thé (2012) pays homage to Catherine of Braganza, the Portuguese princess who married Charles II and is widely credited with popularizing tea drinking in Britain.

The wrought iron structure evokes the form of an English garden gazebo, while the oversized teapot gives the work a whimsical quality reminiscent of the fantastical world of Alice in Wonderland.

Located among the lush flowerbeds of the Cafesjian Sculpture Garden, directly in front of the Cascade, the sculpture acts as a porous screen, filtering the surrounding landscape through the negative space of its decorative pattern.