Lita Cabellut: From Street Child to Icon of Contemporary Art
Lita Cabellut (1961, Spain) is an artist who lives and works in The Hague (Netherlands), whose work has become a benchmark in contemporary art. As a fully-fledged artist, her creative activity spans multiple disciplines. She not only needs painting to express herself; her creative drive to capture the fragility and strength of the human spirit reaches out and traverses the most diverse techniques and creative fields, from sculpture to photography, from installation art to video art and performance, from illustration to costume design, not excluding opera set design, graphic art, or poetry, all of which are necessary disciplines in her tireless pursuit of emotional connection with the public through art, delving into the depths and dichotomies of the human soul.
Her working method is based on reflection and detailed study of the selected motif as the main concept that she later develops in her atelier. The pieces she develops on a large scale combine traditional techniques and modern applications. The characters chosen are the communication channel of the concept. Through these characters that act as interlocutors, the human being, the social message, brutality, selfishness, ignorance, or transcendence are the central themes in her work.
Her creative process is visceral and physical, and this is reflected in the texture, gestures, and unvarnished emotional intensity of her large-scale pieces. She considers art a key element for transforming and improving society.
She was born in Sarinena, Aragon, Spain, in 1961. Growing up on the streets of Barcelona until she was twelve years old profoundly shaped her worldview and artistic sensibility. “My childhood was like that of thousands of street kids around the world,” Lita Cabellut recounts. She used to roam the streets with other homeless children and slept in the open air. “We looked after one another - we did whatever we liked. We took coins out of the fountains, begged Zippo lighters from sailors and stole tourists' wallets. We used to go into restaurants and say our father was in the toilet when they served us, before wolfing down the food and running off.”
Early Artistic Influences: The Prado Museum and Goya’s Pilgrimage
“I recognised in this painting the expressions in the eyes of the people that I crossed in the streets when I was little,” she says. “This painting describes the madness, the hope, the terrific moments that the human being can have when you lose your security.” It made such an impression on her that she tried to copy another Goya, one of his sweeter works depicting a country boy with a country girl and a little dog. The result was not spectacular but her adopted family encouraged her to keep painting - they even paid for private tutors to make up for lost time.
Her grandmother’s death at the age of twelve marked a turning point in her life, leading to her placement in an orphanage before being adopted by “a beautiful Catalan family” at the age of 12. This new environment provided access to education and fostered her passion for art. Her adoptive parents introduced her to the Museo Nacional del Prado where she encountered Goya’s Pilgrimage to San Isidro – a painting that would become a cornerstone of her artistic vision. “It was very difficult for me at school as I was so far behind,” she admits. “It's hard to start learning to read and write when you are 13, and then there’s the psychological difficulty of being put into a class where all the children are much younger.”
The Gerrit Rietveld Academy and Artistic Technique: Mastering Fresco and Color Palette
She enrolled at Amsterdam’s Gerrit Rietveld Academy from 1982 to 1984, honing her artistic skills and developing her distinctive technique – large-scale canvases that combine traditional fresco techniques with modern media applications. “At that time it was hard to get into this school,” she recalls. “They had a good reputation in the 80s and that was part of my giant ambitions.” Her fascination for masters like Rembrandt, Velázquez, Ribera and Goya fueled her artistic exploration. She sought inspiration from their expressive gestures and emotional depth, mirroring her own experiences as a street child.
Her technique is characterized by meticulous attention to detail and an unwavering dedication to conveying emotion through texture and color. “I consider art a key element for transforming and improving society,” she asserts. Her work explores profound themes – power, injustice, ignorance, dehumanization, transcendence – reflecting her commitment to social commentary. She blends classical influences with contemporary sensibilities, resulting in pieces that resonate deeply with viewers.
Notable Achievements and Recognition: From Opera Set Design to International Exhibitions
Throughout her career, Lita Cabellut has achieved remarkable success, earning acclaim as Artist of the Year 2021 in The Netherlands and receiving prestigious awards from institutions like Opera Gallery and Time Out Barcelona. Her paintings have been exhibited in museums across Europe and beyond – Seoul Arts Center (Korea), Museo Arte Contemporánea Sicilia (Italy), CSMVS (Mumbai) India; Het Noordbrabants Museum (Den Bosch); Vila Casas Foundation (Barcelona); The Fendi Collection; Goya Museum (Zaragoza); RAK Art Foundation; The Paul van Rensch Foundation. Her work is included in the permanent collections of several museums, cementing her legacy as one of Spain’s most influential artists.
Her monumental portraits—inspired by figures like Frida Kahlo and Coco Chanel—have garnered international recognition and captivated audiences worldwide. She continues to push boundaries, experimenting with diverse mediums and exploring complex social issues through her art.
