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.

More info: Instagram | davidcata.com | Facebook

#1

“Horizonte, 05. Torre De Hércules"

Hand with stitched landscape artwork on skin showing a lighthouse and green hills against a cloudy sky background.

"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."

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    #2

    "Horizonte, 22. Palacio Real Of Madrid"

    Hand with a detailed landscape stitched onto the skin, showcasing artistic embroidery blending with the natural backdrop.

    "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."

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    Molly A. Block
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What will you embroider when you no longer have a hand due to some horrific and painful and avoidable infection?!

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    #3

    "Horizonte, 18. Viveiro, Galicia"

    Hand with detailed landscape stitched onto skin, showing mountains and water elements in artistic embroidery.

    "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…"

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    Molly A. Block
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He couldn't just glue it on there? He actually STITCHED this into his hand? Not just this one scene, but many? I can't help but feel and wonder, like so many genius's out there, they discover they also suffer(ed) from some form of mental illness. I think this man's art is definitely unique, but as a medical professional, I can't help but keep hearing the screams in my head about infections, gangrene, amputations, etc.!

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    #4

    "Horizonte, 07. Mar De A Coruña"

    Hand with blue thread stitched on skin, set against a rocky seascape, showcasing unique landscape skin art.

    "In this piece from Horizons, I embroider on my palm the sea of A Coruña, a city where I lived for several years."

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    #5

    "Horizonte, 20. Madrid, Parque Del Retiro"

    Hand with a detailed landscape stitched onto the skin, showcasing unique body art and intricate embroidery craftsmanship.

    "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."

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    #6

    “Horizonte, 10. Viveiro"

    Hand with detailed landscape stitched onto skin, blending embroidery art with natural scenery in a creative outdoor setting.

    "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."

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    #7

    "Horizonte. Os Castelos"

    Hand with landscape stitched onto skin using black, green, and white threads, blending art with nature in a stunning way.

    "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."

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    Molly A. Block
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So you are a musician? Interesting.... I think your art is a novel idea, but I can't accept it as sterile or safe, or even ok. ARE you ok?? Or am I just being old fashioned? I mean, I remember when adults thought us 'kids' were nuts for our facial piercings---yes, I had them, so I GET it, but this just has me on edge. It's not one piercing, but many, many, with probably unsterile thread. I hope not.

    #8

    "Horizonte, 13. Guanajuato, Mexico"

    Hand with a detailed landscape stitched onto the skin, showcasing intricate embroidery art and creative body stitching technique.

    "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."

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    #9

    "Horizonte, 09. Madrid"

    Hand with stitched landscape art on skin, held against a cityscape background, showcasing unique stitched landscapes.

    "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."

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    #10

    "Horizonte, 19. Madrid, Las Siete Tetas"

    Hand with a stitched landscape art piece on the skin, blending cityscape and nature elements in detailed embroidery.

    "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."

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    #11

    "Horizonte, 06. El Mar"

    Hand with blue thread stitching creating a landscape effect on skin, blending art and nature by stitching landscapes onto skin.

    "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."

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    #12

    "Horizonte, 17. Chongqing, China"

    Hand with detailed landscape stitched onto skin, showcasing intricate thread art of city skyline and natural elements.

    "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."

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    #13

    Hand with detailed landscape stitched onto skin, showcasing creative artist's unique landscape embroidery art on wrist.

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    #14

    "Horizonte. Viveiro, Desde Mi Estudio"

    Hand with a stitched landscape artwork on skin showing mountains, trees, and sky in detailed embroidery.

    "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."

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    #15

    "Horizonte, 04. Muralla De Lugo"

    Hand with detailed landscape stitching art on skin, showcasing the artist's unique skill in landscape skin stitching.

    "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."

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    #16

    "Horizonte, 15. Plaza Mayor Of Viveiro"

    A hand with detailed stitched landscape artwork featuring a building, blending skin and fabric textures against a city backdrop.

    "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."

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    #17

    "Horizonte, 01. Laura"

    A close-up of a hand with delicate landscape stitched onto the skin using fine thread art.

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    #18

    Close-up of a hand with detailed stitched landscape artwork on the skin against an outdoor scenic background.

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    #19

    “Horizonte, 07. La Música"

    Hand with intricate stitching resembling a landscape art piece over the skin, placed above piano keys.

    "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."

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    Molly A. Block
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I can see you embroidering a beautiful harp, its strings stretching across your palm. But please don't!

    #20

    "Horizonte, 03. A Venta"

    A hand with intricate landscape stitching on skin, blending green and brown threads to mimic nature.

    "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."

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    #21

    "Horizonte, 02. A Gañidoira"

    Hand with white thread stitching forming landscape patterns on skin, showcasing unique landscape stitching art.

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