How Joana Vasconcelos Became Portugal's Jeff Koons
The Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos, who is known for whimsical and ravishing large-scape sculptures that give Jeff Koons a run for his money, began her practice some three decades ago. But it's only in the past handful of years that she's found mainstream attention outside the art world thanks to expansive collaborations with the likes of Christian Dior—she's conceived sets for the house—and Roche Bobois, which commissioned her to design its booth at last year's Salone del Mobile fair and Bombom, a capsule collection of furniture. A creative visionary who refuses to rest on her laurels? No wonder she's a new inductee to our annual O.G. List, out now in T&C's March issue. Vasconcelos closed 2023 with one of her most prestigious installations to date: the Uffizi invited her to showcase three works, including a gigantic pair of heels inspired by Marilyn Monroe's in The Seven Year Itch, at the museum and the Palazzo Pitti, where she rightly took her place alongside the Renaissance's greatest masters. Here, answering our Creative Questionnaire, she shares how jewelry informs her fine art work, the project that led her to Dior boutiques around the world, and the secret to her prodigious concentration. Hint: living in Lisbon helps.
How do you prepare yourself to be creative?
One doesn’t really prepare to be creative. You either are, or you are not. Inspiration flows through you, it’s not something you chase. Having said that, meditation and yoga help me be more aligned with myself and the creative forces within me.
At what time of day do you prefer to work and what one element is necessary to your process?
It’s difficult for an artist not to be working. It’s not something you can switch off when you get home. I go to my studio to work with my team every day of the week. We have a busy schedule, but I really thrive using my hands with the production team, making things happen, and getting artwork into shape.
What place is most conducive for you to work?
My studio by the river in Lisbon. I have a permanent team of more than 50 people from different nationalities and cultural backgrounds. With production, architecture, communication, financial departments, a workshop, and a wellness center, the structure creates and executes projects worldwide.
What do you most often do to procrastinate?
I have practiced karate since I was eight years old, and that helps me stay focused and disciplined. I rarely procrastinate.
Who’s your favorite collaborator?
I have been very privileged with my recent collaborations. Creating Valkyrie Miss Dior for the fashion show in Paris was an amazing experience, which led my team and me to China to develop installations for Dior shops worldwide. And I also loved recently collaborating with Roche Bobois once again, creating the Bombom Outdoor collection, adapting some concepts used in my artworks to home decoration, combining form and function, comfort and harmony, bringing more beauty to the world.
What have you learned from a failure?
I have learned that I wouldn’t be where I am today without failing. I believe failure to be critical in life to help us find our path and succeed in the end. For instance, I failed to enter fine arts school, so I went to study drawing and jewelry instead. And a lot of what I do today, in sculpture, was heavily influenced by jewelry technique, for instance. The scale has changed, but the detail remains the same.
PIRULITO Vase
roche-bobois.com
$980.00
It’s said that genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. What is that ratio like for you?
That ratio is about right for everyone, I believe. Good ideas find you when you are working, going through processes, in dialogue with museums and galleries, or creating solutions with your team. I am very hands-on, and I love that about what I do: creating art.
You Might Also Like
