SOLANGE - A SEAT AT THE TABLE
A Seat at the Table is the third album by Solange. Her most personal record is a career turning point and was acclaimed as one of the best releases of 2016. The concept behind A Seat at the Table stresses the importance of words, which celebrate black culture and honestly address themes like inequality, empowerment, mourning and resilience. The album opens the door to dialogue, gives voice to the silenced and encourages us to break boundaries through 21 songs acting like an intimate diary.
Using a reference delivered by Solange herself, Querida conceived and designed initial graphics for a limited edition book, along with powerful photos by Carlota Guerrero, who was responsible for the images for the album.
The graphic concept is in keeping with the depth of the album's content and lyrics. The deconstruction of racial identity is reflected in the design, where the deconstruction of the written word provides a reverse angle on the words spoken by Solange and her family.
That proposal became the graphic language that forms the backbone of the A Seat at the Table universe, uniting a variety of media ranging from the album design to a website for The Soul of a Nation exhibition at the Tate Modern in London and various pieces of merchandising.
Broken linearity, the sobriety of black on white and the visibility of pace without design artifice, combine with photography by Carlota Guerrero - full of sensuality and feminine strength, to give the whole poetic force and considerable plasticity. The narration and almost confessional lyrics hold out their hands to the arts, referencing Mallarmé and Apollinaire's calligrammes or Brossa's visual poetry.
