Ouka Leele's First Italian Retrospective Opens in Rome

The Museo di Roma in Trastevere is hosting the first Italian solo exhibition of Spanish photographer Ouka Leele (1957–2022), titled "Una movida Bárbara. Fotografie di Ouka Leele," running until July 7, 2024. The show features over 100 works spanning her career from 1978 to 2014, including photographs, serigraphs, documentary material, and merchandise. Curated by her daughter María Rosenfeldt and Silvia Oviaño in collaboration with the Spanish Embassy, the exhibition highlights Leele's signature style: black-and-white portraits hand-colored with vibrant tones, blending photography and painting. A documentary, "Ouka Leele – El viaje de una estrella" by Bárbara Mateos and Jesús Jiménez, is also presented. Born Bárbara Allende Gil de Biedma in Madrid, she studied at the Academy of Fine Arts and Fotocentro, emerging during the Movida Madrileña. Her work is held by institutions like the Museo Reina Sofía and Fundación La Caixa. Notably, her "Menina Liberada" is the only work by a female photographer permanently displayed at the Museo del Prado.