david cata plants in the palm of his hand
david catá plants greenery in the palm of his hand
all images courtesy of david catá

 

 

 

spanish artist david catá uses his body as a canvas. his interest in the potential of the human skin as a surface for creative expression has led him to manipulate his own body, sewing a series of family portraits into his hand for ‘a flor de piel’, previously featured by designboom at the start of the year. catá’s latest work again involves the palms of his hands and the physical alteration of its properties to achieve a photographic result. ‘raices aladas’ (translated as ‘winged roots’) comprises a collection of images which document the process and finality of the addition of plant life into the artist’s skin. a superficial pocket has been peeled away from the epidermis, soil inserted, and vegetation tucked within, transforming the human hand into a source of life for the natural growth. the project draws reference from a poem written by juan andrés zúñiga entitled ‘raices y alas’, which forms a metaphor between the shedding of the skin and the organic process of a seed becoming a plant.

david cata plants in the palm of his hand
a superficial pocket has been peeled away from the epidermis and soil inserted

david cata plants in the palm of his hand
david catá uses his body as a canvas

david cata plants in the palm of his hand
the human hand is transformed into a source of life for the natural growth

david cata plants in the palm of his hand
the artist’s interest in the potential of the skin as a surface for expression has led him to manipulate his own body