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MUDA
Carlos Herraiz
13. April to 23. April 2023 | BARCELONA








MUDA
Carlos Herraiz

13.04.2023 - 23.04.2023
El Raval, Barcelona


MUDA is the first solo exhibition of Carlos Herraiz with the gallery and our first exhibition in Barcelona.

In the same way that many animals need to shed their skin, the butterfly needs the chrysalis state so that metamorphosis, the process of transformation from larva to butterfly, can take place. Carlos Herraiz does the same with hundreds of fabrics he has found and collected over the years. Through his passage through different cities, Herraiz builds an archive of textiles of diverse origins. Sheets; tablecloths, old paintings, fabrics transformed by rust and mould, buried fabrics, scraps and remnants of clothes returned by the sea tide, discolored by the sun, and inherited clothes, form a textile collection in which they act as mementos, or self-referential elements of each one of the experiences in the places where they were found.

The neighborhood, the streets, the ground, have been the artist’s places of play, exploration and encounter. In the studio, he begins the process of resignifying the found objects. In ‘Muda’, the canvas ceases to be rigid and tense. Herraiz approaches the material from its fragility and vulnerability, exploring different installation devices for the fabrics in the space, new exhibition forms and new ways of interacting with the viewer to create a participatory and sensory experience.

To create this body of work, first presented in ‘Muda’, Herraiz reconnects with the processes of sewing, embroidery, hanging, gathering, braiding and linking, using them as a metaphorical bridge to weave the personal with the collective, joining these hundreds of fragments to then cover them, protect them; thus keeping them in this intermediate space between moult and chrysalis.


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In the dynamic compositions in this series—highlighted by pieces including Pastís de poma al cel, Tarda de diumenge, and Mantel i vi (2023-2024)—elements entwined with happiness play freely. These compositions offer an insight into a rich inner world of memories, where time passes by slowly. El Carinyo is a vivid collection of moments directly reconstructed from memory. Among these, Pastís de poma al cel (2024) emerges as a singular expression, capturing an encounter between artist and grandmother as if unfolding in the present moment. The painting evokes a delicate sense of nostalgia, transience and weightlessness, portraying elements of domesticity – chairs, table, coffee cup – alongside the symbolic liberation of a parakeet in flight.

In other works in the exhibition, Dema navigates the boundary between truth and artistic license. She bends reality, altering colors and forms in order to break free from rigidity and convention. Tarda de diumenge (2024), however, stands as a faithful depiction of familial space; a tableau adorned with evocative relics – a VHS tape, a plate of pa amb tomàquet, an olive oil jug, and a delicately arranged vase of freshly picked flowers - enriched by the artist’s meticulous layering of paint upon lace fabric, yielding captivating interplays of light and shadow. Amidst the mostly serene tapestry of the series, Mantel i vi (2024) stands out with its arresting portrayal of discord amidst tranquility. Here, a shattered wine glass, its contents spilled upon a pristine tablecloth, coexists with an impromptu arrangement of grapes and flowers, inviting reflection upon the fragility of beauty. There is a nuanced tension captured within this composition, where every element speaks to the intricate interplay of memory and perception. The process is a quick journey from an idea to a finished work, and each stroke of her brush feels deliberate, heavily-laden with intention, and driven by emotion.

Working primarily with acrylics, oil sticks, and oil pastels on canvas, she constructs each piece with layers and partially uncovered elements, resulting in energetic works rich in nuances and textures. As she delves into themes inspired by her childhood, Dema taps into a universal thread connecting artists throughout history who found inspiration in biographical themes. Her depictions of domestic scenes act as mementos of the richness of life experience, and of the strength of personal memories and familial bonds.