Portlandia
Statue

Portlandia is a monumental copper hammered sculpture created by artist Raymond Kaskey and installed in 1985 on the facade of the Portland Building — a postmodern office building designed by Michael Graves that was itself a landmark in American architectural history. At 35 feet tall, Portlandia is the second-largest hammered copper statue in the United States, surpassed only by the Statue of Liberty. The figure depicts a woman in robes emerging from the building's facade, reaching one hand toward the street below.

The Portland Building (1982) was one of the first major postmodern public buildings in the United States and remains a polarizing work of architecture — celebrated as a breakthrough by architectural theorists and criticized by many working inside it for its small windows and impractical design. The building was renovated between 2017 and 2020 to address its functional deficiencies while preserving Graves's distinctive aesthetic. Portlandia remained throughout the renovation process, temporarily removed for inspection and restoration before being reinstalled.

Portlandia has become one of Portland's most recognizable symbols, lent her name to the IFC sketch comedy series Portlandia (2011–2018) that affectionately satirized the city's progressive culture, and become a focal point of civic pride and debate. She represents the city's self-aware, occasionally self-deprecating identity as a place that takes its politics, its food culture, and its arts scene seriously. The figure's pose — reaching toward the street — has been interpreted as welcoming, examining, or simply observing the city below.