Lita Cabellut facts for kids

Lita Cabellut (born 1961) is a Spanish artist known for her large, powerful paintings. She lives and works in The Hague, Netherlands. Cabellut uses a special modern version of an old painting technique called fresco.

Lita Cabellut's Early Life and Art Training

Growing Up in Spain

Lita Cabellut was born in 1961 in Sariñena, a small village in Aragon, Spain. She spent her early childhood living with her grandmother. After her grandmother passed away, Lita moved to an orphanage.

When she was twelve years old, a family from Catalonia adopted her. This was a big change for Lita. During this time, she visited the famous Prado Museum. There, she was deeply inspired by the works of old masters like Goya, Velázquez, Ribera, and Rembrandt. These artists helped her discover her passion for painting.

Art School in the Netherlands

At age 19, Lita Cabellut moved to the Netherlands to study art. She attended the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam from 1982 to 1984. While studying there, she was influenced by the Dutch masters. She also developed unique art techniques that are now her special style.

Lita Cabellut's Artistic Work

Painting Techniques and Style

Don Quijote 08 by Lita Cabellut

Lita Cabellut is famous for her large paintings. She uses a modern version of the classic fresco technique. This means she applies paint to fresh plaster, which creates a unique texture. She also has a special way of using colors to make her characters' skin look very real.

Beyond her well-known paintings, Cabellut is a multi-talented artist. She also creates:

• Drawings on paper
• Sculptures
• Photography
• Scenery for plays (scenography)
• Art installations
• Poetry and visual poems
• Videos

Famous Art Collections

Miquiztli, from the series A Chronicle of the Infinite, 2018

Antares, from the series A Chronicle of the Infinite, 2018

Cabellut often groups her artworks into collections or series. Each series explores a different idea or theme.

• Frida, The Black Pearl (2010): This collection honors the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Cabellut painted scenes from Kahlo's life, adding some of her own experiences.
• Coco, The Testimony of Black and White (2011): Inspired by the fashion icon Coco Chanel, this series features 35 large portraits.
• A Portrait of Human Knowledge (2012): In this collection, Cabellut painted portraits of important thinkers and artists from the last 150 years. These include Stravinsky, Nureyev, Marie Curie, Billie Holiday, Federico Garcia Lorca, Rudolf Steiner, and Sigmund Freud.
• The Trilogy of the Doubt (2013): This series includes three-part paintings (triptychs) about important social topics like power, unfairness, and not knowing. It gained a lot of attention in Spain and the Netherlands.
• Dried Tear (2013): This collection shows Cabellut's interest in Asian culture.
• The Black Tulip (2014): Inspired by the famous Dutch symbol, this series explores the Dutch Golden Age.
• Blind Mirror (2015): For this collection, Cabellut looked at different cultures and religions from human history.

Awards and Recognition for Lita Cabellut

Lita Cabellut has received many awards for her art:

• 2011: She won the Gypsy Culture Award for Paint and Plastic Arts. This award recognized her work to promote the culture of the Romani people worldwide.
• 2015: She was asked to be a judge for the Premios Figurativas, an art prize that supports realistic art.
• 2015: Artprice magazine named her the most well-known Spanish female artist. She was ranked 333rd among the top 500 contemporary artists globally.
• 2017: She received the IX Premio Time-Out Barcelona for helping promote the city. This was because of her popular art show at the Fundació Vila Casas.
• 2018: She won the Fuera de serie de las Artes Award in Madrid.
• 2020: She was named Artist of the Year 2021 in The Netherlands.
• 2023: She received the Premio Cultura (Culture Award) at the first Premios Vanguardia. This award was given to her by King Felipe of Spain at the National Museum of Art of Catalonia in Barcelona.

Exhibitions Around the World

Lita Cabellut's art has been shown in many places worldwide since her first exhibition in 1978. Her work has been seen in major cities like New York, Dubai, Miami, London, Paris, Venice, and Seoul.

Some of her solo museum exhibitions include:

• 2020: Black Tulip, Museum de Zwarte Tulp, Lisse, The Netherlands
• 2019: The Victory of Silence, Goya Museum, Zaragoza, Spain
• 2018: A Chronicle of the Infinite, Museum Jan van der Togt, Amstelveen, The Netherlands
• 2017: Testimonio, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Gas Natural Fenosa, Coruña, Spain
• 2017: Retrospectiva, Espais Volart, Fundació Vila Casas, Barcelona, Spain
• 2015: Black Tulip: The Golden Age, CSMVS (formerly the Prince of Wales Museum), Bombay, India
• 2015: Black Tulip: The Golden Age, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
• 2015: Blind Mirror, Hälsingland Museum, Hudiksvall, Sweden
• 2014: Here to Stay, Kunststation Kleinsassen, Berlin, Germany
• 2013: Trilogy of Doubt, NoordBrabants Museum, Den Bosch, The Netherlands
• 2013: La trilogia de la Duda, Espai Volart, Fundació Vila Casas, Barcelona, Spain

See also

In Spanish: Lita Cabellut para niños