Written in clay

The idealism, unattainable perfection, kitsch and irony that are associated with mid-20th-century America are painted all over the sculptures of Shalene Valenzuela. She uses the slip-casting method to create realistic-looking quotidian domestic objects, such as irons, potholders and handbags, covered with illustrations of ’50s-era retro scenes of mostly female figures. Valenzuela’s work offers criticism in lighthearted packaging on society’s treatment of women and what it means to be a well-behaved woman—then and now.