The Lagos Cultural Center presents Submerged/Immersed, a solo exhibition featuring new works by Portuguese artist Vanessa Barragão. The exhibition, showcasing the artist’s unique talents of sculpting yarn and fiber into stunning tapestries, rugs and wall hangings, opens 20 January and runs through 23 March.
Born and raised in the Algarve (Albufeira 1992), Vanessa earned a master’s degree in fashion and textile design, with a focus on sustainability and ecology, from Lisbon University. She first began working as a rug designer in the textile industry in Porto, before returning to Albufeira to focus on her own projects and pieces. Currently, Vanessa latch hooks, crochets, felts, weaves, and manipulates recycled dead yarn stock to create masterpieces that not only demonstrate her artisanal skills but also raise awareness about the fragile environment.
Vanessa’s deep connection to the Algarve coastline and the underwater nature of the Caribbean serves as inspiration for her works. “I remember the vibrant colors and abundant life from my childhood visits to the Caribbean with my parents,” Vanessa shares. “My pieces aim to capture the beauty of these ecosystems while raising awareness about their precarious state.”
In addition to exhibiting in respected museums and galleries across Portugal, Vanessa’s works have appeared in the United States at the Science Museum of Oklahoma and the Coastal Discovery Museum in South Carolina, as well as UNIT in London and the CoBrA Gallery of Shanghai. She is also represented in the public and private collections such as: Collección SOLO, Spain; Vila Vita Parc and 3HB Hotel, Portugal; Hotel Pullman Paris Montparnasse, France; Etsy Headquarters, New York City; and Heathrow Airport, London.
More information about the exhibition can be found at the Lagos Cultural Center website. Learn more about the artist at vanessabarragão.com.
Vanessa Barragão, Submerged/Immersed
Lagos Cultural Center
Rua Lançarote de Freitas 7
Lagos
Western Algarve
For more information including invitation requests for the private view please email: ben@benaustin.pt
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday – 10:00 to 18:00
Entrance: Free
Photo at top: Studio VB III
