Woman in Black | D-due

From May 8th to September 11th, 2022

In a way, there is always a woman in black occupying a singular space in our imaginations. In the case of Galicia, these women have been in themselves a social phenomenon for generations. Surviving their husbands entails a transformation of identity that involves donning the color of the crow. Receptacles of ancient wisdom, guardians and administrators of the oral traditions of the Galician people, they have given up the enjoyment of abundance and accepted the color black, constituting a sort of memento homo. Shamanic figures intrinsic to the Galician countryside, they represent an unmistakable sign of regional identity, rooted in immemorial traditions where joie de vivre walks hand in hand with an awareness of one’s mortality.

The chromatic qualities of charcoal and ash, as well as their symbolic resonances, have been essential to the conceptualization of the tapestries presented in the exhibition space. In many places in Galicia the communal tradition of celebrating the feast day of Corpus Christi remains alive, with tapestries of flower petals laid down on the streets of local neighborhoods. The tradition is a work of precision, in which carefully calculated ornamental designs lend continuity, through the shell of custom, to ancestral forms. The ritual is connected with the practice of embroidery, a form of handiwork in which the sensibilities and esthetic criteria of all those who have contributed to the practice in the past are transmitted to the world by the artisan, able to inherit them, perfect them, and then hand them on.

About the project

Mujer de negro [Woman in Black] is a project by D-due in collaboration with 90_20.

90_20 is a transdisciplinary platform for cultural productions. The name alludes to the

distance on a straight line between Spain and Latin America. 90_20 connects the two sides

of the Atlantic, helping to develop interdisciplinary projects that foster collaboration within

the fields of contemporary art, architecture, design, music, and technology.

D-due is a creative studio that work in multiple areas whose interaction defines a lifestyle project rather than an exclusively fashion project. Charo Froján and Alfredo Olmedo are the design team behind D-due. Inspired by the rural traditions of the province of Galicia in Spain, their work reflects a dialogue between the profession of tailoring and the physical environment.

Charo Froján is the connection with the workshop, the technical and volumetric development, and clothing engineering. Alfredo Olmedo is responsible for the conceptual design, drafting, and artistic creation.