Joana Vasconcelos adds colourful crocheted shapes to household sinks. The use of crochet evokes the private realm of the home, due to its connection with female labour, who work at home and for the home. Textile elements seep into and/or cover the sink. These colourful, soft and malleable additions contrast with the hard, sterile coldness of the metal. This disruptive process of transformation encourages a new look at these everyday objects and at intimacy. Water is a recurring theme in the work of Joana Vasconcelos. Here, represented by the textile elements added to the kitchen sink, it is exalted and embellished, summoning up its value as an essential commodity.

Water, for me, is synonymous with life and renewal. It is such a constant presence in our routine in Europe that I was only aware of its real importance when I traveled to Mexico. I remember walking into a pueblo house, which consisted of a single room, where everything happened, complete with a hammock and television, but there wasn't one single tap. That realisation awakened me. Gradually, water entered my body of work, through the shape of swimming pools, urinols or washbasins, for instance, where the aquatic representation is made through textile elements, often in blue colors with bright details simulating the water reflection. My work as an artist allows me to address pressing matters, such as the sustainability of the planet and the management of resources for the future. And the expression of water in my work is done through abundance, with elements that flow from the works, defining what water represents more and more: a luxury.
Joana Vasconcelos
SinksSinks
Go with the Flow, 2021 © Atelier Joana Vasconcelos
SinksSinks
Go with the Flow, 2021 © Atelier Joana Vasconcelos
SinksSinks
Kilimanjaro, 2015 © Atelier Joana Vasconcelos
SinksSinks
Kilimanjaro, 2015 © Atelier Joana Vasconcelos
SinksSinks
Lavoisier, 2011 © Atelier Joana Vasconcelos
SinksSinks
Lavoisier, 2011 © Atelier Joana Vasconcelos
SinksSinks
Precious, 2018 © Atelier Joana Vasconcelos
SinksSinks
Precious, 2018 © Atelier Joana Vasconcelos
SinksSinks
Wash It, 2011 © Atelier Joana Vasconcelos
SinksSinks
Wash It, 2011 © Atelier Joana Vasconcelos
Artwork Details
PRODUCTION DATE
Since 2010
MATERIALS
Stainless steel sinks, handmade woollen crochet, fabrics, ornaments, polyester, LED, power supply unit, controller
DIMENSIONS
Variable