Breast cancer: Challenges ahead and a visual reflection on its impact on women

The month of October is usually associated with the colours of the season’s change, and everything is filled with shades of brown, ochre, orange… However, there is one colour that stands out above all: Pink. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Every year many people, not only women, although they are the main ones affected, but also men, receive the shocking diagnosis of breast cancer. In fact, in 2022, 34,740 people were diagnosed with breast cancer in Spain.

The good news is that, thanks to the research being carried out, prevention and early detection, mortality from this disease has decreased significantly: according to data from the Spanish Association Against Cancer, in recent years the average 5-year survival rate for breast cancer has increased to 85%.

However, there is still a long way to go, both in terms of research to find new drugs or treatments, and in terms of understanding the origins of the disease and the causes of the development of metastasis, as well as raising social awareness of the physical and emotional impact it has.

At Pasqual Arnella, we look for a way to collaborate in this social awareness every year, not only about breast cancer but also women’s rights. On this occasion we have participated in the exhibition “WE ARE HERE! Women in design. 1900-Today“, organised by the Disseny Hub in Barcelona.

The exhibition shows a selection of objects created by women in different fields of design that have remained largely hidden, from furniture, interior design, graphic design and lighting to textiles, ceramics and jewellery. But it also exposes the stories behind many of these designs, such as when Le Corbusier told the designer Charlotte Perriand “we don’t embroider cushions here” when she asked him for a job. Within a month, Le Corbusier walked into a bar that Perriand had designed and was fascinated by her work.