Lita Cabellut in Seoul by Opera Gallery, Art et antiquités

LITA CABELLUT IN SEOUL

LITA CABELLUT IN SEOUL 2|

2018 is a monumental year for Opera Gallery Seoul. We have maintained a presence in the ‘Land of Morning Calm’ since 2007, and this year was marked especially by relocation in the elegant Gangnam district of Seoul, positioned at the beating heart of local creativity. This new space enabled us to exhibit a diversity of artwork in an exquisite atmosphere. To conclude this important year and prepare for greater success to come, Opera Gallery Seoul is delighted to present a magnificent solo exhibition dedicated to renowned Spanish artist Lita Cabellut. “All portraits are great self-portraits. They are a way to relive distant, hidden, present and latent emotions every time. Every portrait is me.” Lita Cabellut traces back to her own disconsolate childhood memories, her art portrays souls with expressionist strokes that spring from forces underlying all thoughts. She puts her canvases through a lengthy creative process to give them a rough and edgy texture and uses techniques that range from fresco painting to street art. Through the soulless gaze of the subject or a motionless glare, every portrait reflects the burden of life and a wave of emotions delivered by loneliness that invites the viewer’s empathy to surface. Through a number of international exhibitions both in museums and galleries, the artist became even more proficient in the mastering of her own signature expressive style, increasing people’s awareness of her œuvre. This solo exhibition offers a worthy occasion to contemplate a different level of maturity in her work. Opera Gallery Seoul proudly invites you to explore Lita Cabellut’s world and her outstanding ability to navigate through the maze of the subconscious mind, anchoring her art in the soul.

Gilles Dyan Chairman & Founder Opera Gallery Group

Yoonju Kim Director Opera Gallery Seoul

A JOURNEY THROUGH LIGHT AND DARKNESS: LITA CABELLUT’S ARTISTIC LANGUAGE

Introduction Lita Cabellut’s work is characterised by an extensive œuvre of portraits that depict the perceivable experience of life and living on her characters, from human suffering to flourishing. ‘The human condition’ is the backbone of Cabellut’s artistic language. Reflecting a central message of a shared sense of humanity is where I would locate the most significant achievement of Cabellut’s art. One must comprehend her technique in order to fully understand her language of humanism, since the way she expresses herself through brush work, layers of fresco, strokes of oil paint and hits of graffiti ink is also the way she thinks and speaks as an artist, in order to address the subject of humankind as a whole. These figures range from fictional characters such as street dwellers and prostitutes; historical figures such as people from the Dutch Golden Age; religious characters, varying from a Buddhist monk to the Pope; cultural references such as veiled women across societies and influential people such as Coco Chanel and Frida Kahlo.

It is with great pleasure that I introduce the work of Lita Cabellut, my mother and one of today’s most significant artists in the field of human portraits. Her work has inspired many and directly shaped me, with her immense canvases that serve as mirrors and encourage people to exercise empathy and compassion. Lita Cabellut’s mission is to explore human emotions, conditions and societal challenges through her own language of artistic expression. In today’s constantly shrinking world, Cabellut’s work provides a crucial contribution by provoking a dialogue about humanity as a whole. In doing so, she visualises the human spectrum based on a collective humanism as well as a sense of individual relativity.

Luciano Mateo Rodriguez Carrington, The Hague , 2018

She gives form to both the forgotten and the praised, in search to captivate the endless facets that humans have to offer. It is driven by a passion for humanity alongside a personal urge to get closer to herself that propels the progression of her work. In her own words, Cabellut states that: “Artists are a type of astronomes, looking at the cosmos through various lenses… understanding the need for innovation in order to grasp the seemingly incomprehensible immensity of the human universe.”

The Central Role of the Human The urge to explore the ‘human universe’ underpins the innovation of Cabellut’s work, which is characterised by themed series. According to Lita, these collections emerge both intentionally and unintentionally, by deliberately transmitting particular societal messages whilst also surrendering herself to the intuitive attraction of certain themes. The combination of wanting to convey specific philosophical messages, with the spontaneous emergence of different subjects, is what provokes the drastic contrasts between, and even within, series. These contrasts can clearly be detected in the strong dark and light analogy that runs like a thread through her work.

When looking at the conceptual structure of Cabellut’s work it becomes clear that the central message of the ‘human experience’ is portrayed as a constant interaction between light and darkness. According to Cabellut, the reason behind these contrasts is simple, namely, that she paints what she observes and that life is full of stark contrasts. The dark and light interplay that penetrates her work is an instrument to address and deconstruct existing dualities such as the physical and psychological; the beautiful and horrific; and the realms of reality and imagination.

Cabellut’s Artistic Language In Cabellut’s eyes, the dance between darkness and light defines our human universe and our every day experiences. The chiaroscuro characteristic of her work serves as a technical instrument as well as a tool to provoke thought on the challenges faced by individuals and societies. It is for this reason that the use of light and darkness constitutes a fundamental part of Cabellut’s artistic vocabulary, which is formed around the following question: who are we as human beings. When I look at her œuvre, I interpret an overarching message which states that true insights into human existence reside in the cracks between light and darkness. This further points to the connection between the materiality and immateriality of her art, using light and darkness as a chiaroscuro technique and as metaphors of hope and despair. Painting, for her, is both an introspective and extrospective journey. It is an incredibly intimate voyage in search for one’s own language, which in the case of Cabellut is intrinsically connected to a passage through her own past shadows as well as fragments of future visions. For Cabellut, it is impossible to separate her artistic language, technique and the philosophical messages that she wants to convey. Put simply, she makes art part of her life and life part of her art. We are invited to look into the captivating eyes of her characters through her own perspective, but then often end up staring at ourselves through the mirroring effect of these immense canvases. Her search as an artist is essentially eternal, since it is based on the attempt to delve into the bottomless pit of human essence.

LUCIA 01 | 2017

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 280 x 200 cm | 110.2 x 78.7 in

LUCIA 02 | 2017

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 280 x 200 cm | 110.2 x 78.7 in

LUCIA 03 | 2017

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 280 x 200 cm | 110.2 x 78.7 in FROM THE SERIES TESTIMONY

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MARTA | 2017

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JOHN | 2017

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 230 x 200 cm | 90.6 x 78.7 in

FROM THE SERIES TESTIMONY

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SHARMEEN | 2017

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 260 x 200 cm | 102.4 x 78.7 in FROM THE SERIES TESTIMONY

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CARLOS 02 | 2017

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MIRIAM | 2017

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 215 x 145 cm | 84.6 x 57.1 in

FROM THE SERIES TESTIMONY

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LA LAGRIMA DEL RIO | 2017

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS DIPTYCH, 115 x 200 cm | 45.3 x 78.7 in FROM THE SERIES ARMY OF POETS

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SIRIUS | 2018

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 250 x 200 cm | 98.4 x 78.7 in FROM THE SERIES A CHRONICLE OF INFINITY

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OLLIN | 2017 -2018

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS TRIPTYCH, 215 x 435 cm | 84.6 x 171.3 in FROM THE SERIES A CHRONICLE OF INFINITY

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DANIEL | 2017

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 260 x 200 cm | 102.4 x 78.7 in

PETRA 01 | 2017

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 260 x 200 cm | 102.4 x 78.7 in

CARLOS | 2017

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 260 x 200 cm | 102.4 x 78.7 in FROM THE SERIES TESTIMONY

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YERRY 02 | 2017

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 180 x 180 cm | 70.9 x 70.9 in FROM THE SERIES TESTIMONY

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FAIRY FLOWER 04 | 2016

CORAL FLOWERS 09 | 2015

FROM THE SERIES FAIRY FLOWERS

FROM THE SERIES CORAL FLOWERS

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 200 x 180 cm | 78.7 x 70.9 in

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 250 x 200 cm | 98.4 x 78.7 in

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GUY | 2017

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 215 x 145 cm | 84.6 x 57.1 in FROM THE SERIES ARMY OF POETS

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ARUNA | 2018

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 215 x 145 cm | 84.6 x 57.1 in FROM THE SERIES A CHRONICLE OF INFINITY

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CORAL FLOWERS 01 | 2015 MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 200 x 180 cm | 78.7 x 70.9 in

FROM THE SERIES CORAL FLOWERS

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SOPHIE 02 | 2017

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 215 x 145 cm | 84.6 x 57.1 in FROM THE SERIES ARMY OF POETS

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COCO SPECIAL 06 | 2014 MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 150 x 150 cm | 59.1 x 59.1 in

CHAPLIN 22 | 2016 MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 260 x 200 cm | 98.4 x 78.7 in

FROM THE SERIES: COCO, A TESTIMNOY OF BLACK AND WHITE.

FROM THE SERIES PORTRAIT OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE

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DRAGON BLUE 01 | 2017

MARYLIN 13 | 2012

INSTALLATION, FLOWERS 240 x 120 X 100 cm | 94.5 x 47.2 X 39.4 in

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 250 x 200 cm | 98.4 x 78.7 in

FROM THE SERIES ARMY OF POETS

FROM THE SERIES MARILYN

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LOUISE 01 | 2018

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 215 x 145 cm | 84.6 x 57.1 in FROM THE SERIES ARMY OF POETS

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JANIS JOPLIN 05 | 2014

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 200 x 180 cm | 78.7 x 70.9 in FROM THE SERIES PORTRAIT OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE

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AL - GHOURAB | 2018

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS DIPTYCH, 165 x 221 cm | 65 x 87 in FROM THE SERIES A CHRONICLE OF INFINITY

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DRIED TEAR 04 | 2013

MOTHER THERESA 02 | 2012

FROM THE SERIES DRIED TEAR

FROM THE SERIES PORTRAIT OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 200 x 180 cm | 78.7 x 70.9 in

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ALHENA | 2018

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 180 x 140 cm | 70.9 x 55.1 in FROM THE SERIES A CHRONICLE OF INFINITY

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PHILIPPE 02 | 2018

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 215 x 145 cm | 84.6 x 57.1 in FROM THE SERIES ARMY OF POETS

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ELISA | 2017

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS 215 x 145 cm | 84.6 x 57.1 in FROM THE SERIES ARMY OF POETS

LITA CABELLUT

Lita Cabellut (b. 1961, SariĂąena, Aragon) is a Spanish painter who lives and works in The Netherlands. She grew up as a street child in Barcelona until she was adopted at the age of twelve. During this time she was introduced to the Spanish masters at the Prado Museum, after which she immediately devoted her passion to art. Lita Cabellut had her first exhibition at the age of 17 and moved to The Netherlands at the age of 19, where she studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam.

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Over the years, Cabellut has developed a unique technique characterized by large-scale canvases that combine traditional fresco techniques and modern applications of oil paint. The craquelures and defining palette gives a skin and life to her portraits of street dwellers, prostitutes, religious people, historical figures, fictional characters and influential people. The central theme of the human and the societal messages that Lita Cabellut communicates in her work is primarily expressed through paintings. However, beyond her defining monumental portraits, Cabellut is also a multi-disciplinary artist whose works includes film, poetry, drawings, installations and sculptures.

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LITA CABELLUT Museum Exhibitions (selection)

Gallery Exhibitions (selection)

2019

2018

Solo Exhibition | Goya Museum | Zaragoza | Spain 2018

A Chronicle of the infinite | Opera Gallery | NY | USA (solo show) 2017

Impulse | Opera Gallery | London | UK (solo show) 2014

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2015-2016

The Figure in Process: de Kooning to Kapoor, 1955-2015 | Pivot Centre for Art + Culture | Seattle | USA

2015

2013

Karl V, Bayerische Staatsopera | Munich | Germany 2017

Le Siège de Corinthe, Rossini opera Festival | Pesaro | Italy

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Published by Opera Gallery to coincide with exhibition Lita Cabellut in Seoul, 13 - 27 December 2018. All rights reserved. Except for the purposes of review, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

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LITA CABELLUT I N S E O U L 2018

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