Mari Ogihara's ceramic work, now on view at Temple Gallery, is influenced by women's efforts at beautification.

Tattooing, body painting, jewelry, makeup—Mari Ogihara reconsiders the elaborate ornamentations and body modifications by women in all eras and cultures in her Tyler MFA thesis show, "Odalisque." She creates a porcelain, shell-like form, then piles on layers and layers of nylon, wax and nail polish to create shiny, intricately patterned ceramic works. Looking a bit like sexy stockinged legs, Ogihara's forms can also resemble the scaly, hard exteriors of reptiles or the protective shell of a sea creature. Cultural tradition, defense mechanism or vain pursuit? Ogihara asks you to decide. Maria Walker's thesis show, "Between the Houses," is sure to showcase the Philadelphia native's talents for expressionistic detail. Walker's work ranges from warm interiors to frontal views of swans to abstracted images of plants and flowers. Particularly memorable are a couple of overhead views of puzzles in various stages of completion. A large, perfectly square painting titled Philadelphia is painted in a rich, grassy green, with a tall, ivory column cut out, almost like a window, to show a sketchy architectural detail. Is it an archway? A bridge? A door opening? Hard to tell, but its mystery is enough for me. During April, look for the work of other MFA candidates at Temple and Tyler galleries. (Visit www.temple.edu/tyler for a full schedule.)

Mari Ogihara, through April 8 (reception Sat., April 8, 6-8:30 p.m.); Maria Walker, April 12-15 (reception Fri., April 14, 6-8:30 p.m.), Temple Gallery, 45 N. Second St., 215-413-0364. Open until 9 p.m. Fridays until May 20.

Knitting, quilting, sewing --the domestic arts are trendy, but don't call it a comeback. The fiber arts have been here for years. This month, a series of shows puts the spotlight on needle and thread. InLiquid's "Exhibit 4" features six artists, including Karen Henderson, who's influenced by the seasons and atmospheric conditions when dyeing and weaving everything from silk to batik to hemp to create her moody works. Other artists include Craig Matthews, Bette Uscott-Woolsey, Amy Orr, Jacqueline Unanue and Kathryn Pannepacker. Speaking of Pannepacker, she'll lead a textile tour through the Mural Arts Program on two Saturdays, April 8 and 22 and she's also curated her own show at DaVinci Art Alliance, "Fiber Artists: Philadelphia." Continuing at Snyderman Gallery is the Fifth International Fiber Biennal, with works by more than 90 artists. ArtQuilts at the Sedgwick comes to the Philadelphia Art Alliance with its international group of artists, while another cozy quilt show, "Material Speaks: The New Quilt," at Esther M. Klein, explores modern techniques like photo transfer, digital photography and spray paint alongside traditional methods like stenciling, collage, cyanotype and handprinting.

For more on Fiber Arts Month and its exhibits, visit www.inliquid.com.

Adam Parker Smith, whose hairy, naked dolls made a splash at Painted Bride in February, holds a funeral for the two dolls confiscated by Vatican police. "Nylon Bereavement," at Peng, tells the story of the confiscation through drawings and captions, as well as two wooden caskets in honor of the lost dolls. Smith's actual dolls are in a window installation at Spector. Reception Fri., April 7, 6-8 p.m., exhibition runs through May 20, Peng Gallery, 35 S. Third St., 215-629-5889. The Polaroid P-500 Digital Photo Printer wasn't the commercial success the company had anticipated. But four local artists aren't finished with it. Christopher Archer, Cho, Mike Geno and Benjamin Long merge instant gratification with fine art in "P-500: Experimentations in Photography." They use all the bells and whistles of digital imaging and then print on the P-500. Reception Fri., April 7, 5:30-7:30 p.m., exhibition runs through April 29, Fleisher Art Memorial, 719 Catharine St., 215-922-3456. Main Line Art Center's "Transformer" is more than meets the eye. Eight artists re-create classic artworks. Velasquez's Las Meninas becomes the high-definition video 89 Seconds at Alcazar while a Buddhist temple is re-envisioned through 1,000 phone books. Reception Thu., April 6, 5:30-7:30 p.m., exhibition runs through May 3, Main Line Art Center, Old Buck Road and Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, 610-525-0272.