Spanish artist David Catá creates art by sewing onto the palm of his hand. He uses thread to stitch images that are important to him, turning his memories and feelings into something you can see and feel.
In his new series, Horizontes, he connects his body to landscapes that hold deep meaning. Each photo shows a place from his life, with a thread sewn into his skin to match the view. It’s a way for him to talk about change, love, and the journey into the future.
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#1 “Horizonte, 18. Viveiro, Galicia”
“In this piece from Horizons, I embroider on the palm of my hand the Roman bridge of Viveiro, a place deeply connected to my childhood, which I crossed every day to go to school. Although it is known as the “Roman bridge,” its current structure is medieval, built upon Roman remains. Today, it remains one of the main entrances to Viveiro’s historic center, linking past and present. Its seven irregular arches have withstood centuries of history, and they say that only those with a clear conscience could cross one of them…”
Image source: davidcatart
#2 “Horizonte, 05. Torre De Hércules”
“In this piece from Horizons, I embroider on my palm the silhouette of the Tower of Hercules, the oldest functioning lighthouse in the world and one of the most powerful symbols of Galicia.
This place connects me with the memory of the sea, with resistance against time, and with the light that always finds its way to shine through. Stitching this horizon is like anchoring a compass on the skin, to remember where we come from and where we illuminate the path ahead.”
Image source: davidcatart
#3 “Horizonte, 07. Mar De A Coruña”
“In this piece from Horizons, I embroider on my palm the sea of A Coruña, a city where I lived for several years.”
Image source: davidcatart
#4 “Horizonte, 20. Madrid, Parque Del Retiro”
“In this piece from Horizons, I embroider on my palm the pond and the monument to Alfonso XII in Retiro Park, a spot that has become a symbol of pause and contemplation amidst the city’s pulse.
The Retiro, Madrid’s green lung, was originally a garden reserved for royalty. Today, however, it belongs to everyone.
They say that beneath the waters of this artificial pond lie old tunnels and galleries built during the time of Philip IV.”
Image source: davidcatart
#5 “Horizonte, 22. Palacio Real Of Madrid”
“Sometimes, the landscape doesn’t let itself be captured on the first try. This horizon, that of the Royal Palace of Madrid, resisted. The light, the moment… they weren’t what the image asked of me.
I slept with the embroidered hand and returned the next day. Same thread, same skin… but different light.
Each of these embroideries is a phemeral scar of time. An autobiographical diary woven through the landscapes that mark my life.”
Image source: davidcatart
#6 “Horizonte, 19. Madrid, Las Siete Tetas”
“In this piece from Horizons, I embroider on my palm the profile of Las Siete Tetas, an iconic lookout point in the Vallecas neighborhood that offers one of the most honest and moving panoramas of Madrid.
From its hills, you can see the city with all its contrasts. This place, popularly known for the shape of its hills, is also a refuge of calm for those seeking to breathe amidst the rush.”
Image source: davidcatart
#7 “Horizonte, 10. Viveiro”
“In this piece from Horizons, I embroider on my palm the view from Monte San Roque, one of the highest points in Viveiro, from where the whole town unfolds, embraced by sea and mountain.
Since I was a child, I remember walking up with my parents every August 16, during the patron saint festivities, amid music, laughter, and people. Over time, I started making that same climb with friends as well. When we reached the top, there was always a hot chocolate with churros waiting for us. A simple gesture that, year after year, was being embroidered into my memory.”
Image source: davidcatart
#8 “Horizonte. Os Castelos”
“The horizon ‘Os Castelos’ is a very meaningful place for me, as it was here that I created my artistic project Drowned Sounds, inspired by my hearing condition: otosclerosis.
This landscape was also the filming location for scenes of my music video On the Skin, a key piece from my first album Origin.”
Image source: davidcatart
#9 “Horizonte, 13. Guanajuato, Mexico”
“A little over 3 years ago, I created this Horizon in Guanajuato, a wonderful city where I was fortunate to exhibit my work in a solo show.”
Image source: davidcatart
#10 “Horizonte, 09. Madrid”
“From this rooftop in Madrid, I embroider on my hand the Gran Vía and the Metrópolis building: an urban landscape that unfolds like a curtain to my memories.
This place holds symbolic value for me because it was here that I exhibited for the first time in the capital, in 2012, as part of a group show. My work Ni conmigo ni sin mí, 01, one of my first stitched photographs, was selected as the image for the poster of that exhibition.”
Image source: davidcatart
#11 “Horizonte. Viveiro, Desde Mi Estudio”
“In this piece from Horizons, I embroider on my palm the view that unfolds from the rooftop of my studio in Viveiro. From here, among rooftops, you can see the church of Santa María.”
Image source: davidcatart
#12 “Horizonte, 04. Muralla De Lugo”
“In this piece, I embroider on the palm of my hand the Walls of Lugo, one of the most recognizable symbols of my homeland. This Roman fortification is the only one in the world to preserve its entire perimeter intact.
Its more than two kilometers of circular layout seem to embrace the city, as if guarding not only its streets but also the collective memory.”
Image source: davidcatart
#13 “Horizonte, 06. El Mar”
“In this piece, I embroider on my palm the line of the sea horizon, the starting point of the Horizons series. It was the first time I stitched a landscape onto my skin in 2015.
This gesture was born from the desire to unite memory, body, and territory through an intimate and poetic action. The sea, which has marked my life so many times, was the first thread I traced.
With this work, I won the First Prize in Visual Arts from Reganosa in 2015.”
Image source: davidcatart
#14 “Horizonte, 15. Plaza Mayor Of Viveiro”
“I bordered this horizon on August 14, just before stepping out onto the balcony of the town hall to give the opening speech for the patron saint festivities of Viveiro. It was a strange and beautiful mix of dizziness, pride, and emotion. A true honor.
In the picture, the Plaza Mayor: a place I have walked on hundreds of times and that, that day, was looking back at me from below, full of familiar faces.
This horizon is a small portrait of that moment. A way to keep it, literally, on my skin.”
Image source: davidcatart
#15
Image source: davidcatart
#16 “Horizonte, 17. Chongqing, China”
“This horizon was created in Chongqing, one of the largest and most unique cities in China. Its dizzying growth and extreme geography particularly attracted me.
Chongqing is built almost entirely on mountains, which has given rise to unique urban solutions: trains that pass through buildings, streets at different levels, and architecture that seems embroidered vertically.”
Image source: davidcatart
#17
Image source: davidcatart
#18 “Horizonte, 07. La Música”
“In this piece from Horizons, I embroider on my palm the keys of a piano, a symbol of one of my passions: music.
Stitching this horizon has been like performing a melody with threads.
This work was awarded the First Prize in Visual Arts by the Provincial Council of Ourense in 2019.”
Image source: davidcatart
#19 “Horizonte, 03. A Venta”
“In this piece, I embroider on my palm the countryside landscape that stretches out in front of what was my grandparents’ house, in San Cibrao, Galicia.
This horizon is a metaphor for how I move forward: with my gaze fixed on the future, but with roots firmly anchored in memory.”
Image source: davidcatart
#20 “Horizonte, 01. Laura”
Image source: davidcatart
#21 “Horizonte, 02. A Gañidoira”
Image source: davidcatart
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