Swvwn monsters 2025

7 Monsters: A Study in Color | Shady Francis Maglaton

This research project originates from a personal biological lens: my partial color blindness. Here, vision is repurposed as a research tool. Utilizing a specific spectrum of perception—100% Blue, 87% Red, 0% Green—I have constructed a new system of visual codes.

What begins as a sensory starting point evolves into a sculptural exploration of textile. The work traverses nightmares and examines the number seven as a central axis connecting dream, trauma, and identity. These garments function as "transitional objects" where color is tethered to memory, boundaries, and the expressions of physical and social power.

• White: Cotton as a symbol of the absolute—shrouds, purity, and pain. Architectural silhouettes and elongated trains evoke a ritualistic, cyclical transition.

• Blue: History and fluid identity. Denim is layered into voluminous tiers; non-binary forms explore cultural appropriation and the movement between places.

• "Green": A phantom presence. Born from the inability to perceive the color, the absence becomes a creative principle. Inverted fabrics expose internal seams and sharp, constructive lines, hinting at hidden strength and military order.

• Red: The processing of trauma. Red manifests as dried, scabbed blood. A tailored wool suit creates a dialogue between rigidity and the attempt to stabilize a wound.

• Black: Mourning as a practice of control. Tailored wool expresses grief, caught between the desire for release and the restrictive forces of cultural censorship.