Estampa 2026

RocioSantaCruz’s proposal is structured around the work of Ouka Leele, a key figure in contemporary Spanish photography and one of the most representative artists of Madrid’s Movida.

Marked by experimentation across disciplines and an unmistakable visual identity, her career made a decisive contribution to expanding the expressive boundaries of the photographic medium.

Awarded the National Photography Prize in 2005 and, among other distinctions, the Silver Medal of the Community of Madrid, Ouka Leele developed a distinctive visual language defined by creative freedom and poetic richness. Positioned at the intersection of photography, painting, drawing, and writing, her work shapes a deeply personal and singular visual universe.

Through altered images, dreamlike compositions, and an expressive use of colour—one of the most recognisable features of her work—her photographs reveal a gaze capable of imbuing the intimate with poetry and giving new meaning to the everyday, transforming seemingly ordinary scenes into images charged with symbolic and emotional intensity.

The proposed selection highlights essential aspects of her work: its chromatic richness, the allegorical dimension of her compositions, and the constant dialogue between photography and painting.

Alongside the photographs, the presentation includes drawings by the artist, poems, and previously unseen material from her practice, creating a journey that invites viewers to explore the multiple layers of her creative universe.

The ensemble broadens our understanding of her creative process and reveals the close relationship between the disciplines that shape her artistic language.

RocioSantaCruz’s proposal offers an approach to the work of Ouka Leele, highlighting both the singularity of her vision and the enduring relevance of a career that occupies an essential place in the history of contemporary artistic creation in Spain.

With the support of: