COLITA
SPAIN
Isabel Steva Hernández, universally known as Colita (1940–2023), was a pioneering photographer and one of the undisputed masters of portraiture in Spain. Her work is defined by a bold, rebellious spirit and an irresistible sense of humor that permeated both her images and her life. From an early age, she immersed herself in photography, eventually capturing the heartbeat of Barcelona’s cultural and political life during the transformative decades of the 1960s and 70s.
Colita’s lens documented the rise of the Nova Cançó, the feminist movement, anti-Franco protests and the vibrant bohemian world of the Gauche Divine. For her, photography was not just an art, but a way of living freely and truthfully.
In collaboration with Colita Achives Represented and directed by his heir Francesc Polop, and the Museu of Cadaqués.
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Divine Portraits
The exhibition Divine Portraits at the Museu de Cadaqués offers an evocative journey through Colita’s photographic archive, highlighting her unique ability to capture both the extraordinary and the everyday. On display are portraits of some of the most emblematic figures of her time, such as famous artist Salvador Dalí, as well as other anonymous faces and fleeting encounters that reveal her sharp eye for human character.
Colita’s photographs are not static images; they are lively fragments of history that speak of freedom and the joy of living. With her direct gaze and unmistakable humor, she transformed intimate moments into iconic testimonies of an era, from anti-Franco demonstrations to nights at Bocaccio and summers on the Costa Brava. Divine Portraits invites us to rediscover Colita’s world: a universe where laughter, rebellion and beauty converge in unforgettable images.
