Vinográfica

I was honoured to be invited to prepare an exhibition for this year's Fiesta de la Vendimia de Jerez—the festival marking the start of the grape harvest. It is a major event in Jerez de la Frontera, a city and wine region renowned worldwide for its sherry.

I have always been fascinated by the curious symbols and markings found on the barrels inside the city’s many vast, shadowy bodegas. Stencilled letters, old wooden arrows worn by decades of use, and quick chalk inscriptions are all vital tools that help winemakers track and guide the aging process—the crianza. This meticulous craft is at the heart of the solera system, unique to this corner of Spain with its rich, chalky albariza soil.

For this project, I took these familiar symbols and repurposed them in an unexpected way. Trading the traditional monochrome barrels for vivid colors, I layered arrows, letters, and words to create dynamic new compositions—all contained within the circular frame of the barrel heads.

The exhibition is open now through September 18. If you are in town, pop in and take a look!

¡Salud!