Once upon an insignia... # 10 is a work developed during the CASA B Artist-in-residence project, at the Museu Bispo do Rosário Arte Contemporânea (mBrac), held in April 2018 (in a similar way to those conceived during the Artist-in-residence program at Maus Hábitos, Porto, Portugal, 2012), followed by the exhibition "Almofadinhas | Experiência B", curated by Diana Kolker and Ricardo Resende, where a symbolic dialogue was created between the production of the artist with that of Bispo do Rosário.
In the Once upon an insignia... series actual military insignia were incorporated into old doilies, handkerchiefs or napkins. On top of these badges, typical elements of the portuguese valentine's handkerchief were hand-embroidered by the artist.
My recent art production came from a reflection upon the toys that people give to their children, that, even if not intentionally, are used to define gender, sexual identity, personality, etc: dolls and domestic or sensitive activities for girls; balls, weapons, soldiers and more active and strength oriented games for boys.
Its artistic poetics lies precisely in the superposition and conflict between traditional elements of the feminine universe, in particular floral ornamental patterns, porcelain crockery, embroidery, among other so-called feminine activities, with stereotypes of masculinity such as the soldier, the powerful executive, the weightlifter, the cowboy, etc. |
