Bebesota
September 13 - October 25, 2024
Opening Reception: September 13 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Bebesota features large silkscreen printed bandanas, custom spinner rims and gold hoop earrings. By introducing these iconic materials from the hood into a gallery setting Bebesota calls attention to the vast space between the art world and various communities of so called outsiders. Exaggerating the scale is a symbolic gesture of intervention, a way of colonizing and claiming space in the world as a queer, Latina from a barrio. The value of art rests in its ability to communicate across barriers.

Vanessa Viruet, a Chicago-based artist of Puerto Rican descent, creates large-scale works delving into complex histories rooted in textiles, including identity, heritage, gender, and class. Her art has been exhibited at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Detroit.Viruet has also exhibited in conjunction with Chicago Textiles Week, the Surface Design Association, and the Annual Lowrider Festival. Residencies include ACRE, Lillstreet Art Center, and the Fabric Workshop and Museum.

Viruet holds a BFA and an MA in Teaching from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. She has served as an art instructor for Chicago Public Schools for ten years. She is a Lecturer in Fiber and Material Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she also works with students in the Low Residency MFA program.