{"id":1997648,"date":"2026-06-18T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1997648"},"modified":"2026-06-18T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T21:00:00","slug":"surreal-figures-step-from-leonora-carringtons-paintings-into-shape-of-dreams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1997648","title":{"rendered":"Surreal Figures Step from Leonora Carrington\u2019s Paintings into \u2018Shape of Dreams\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1996\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/carrington-8.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a bronze sculpture of a large bird that is being ridden by other smaller birds as if it is a boat\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cShip of Cranes\u201d (2010), lost-wax bronze casting, 48 x 79 x 33 inches, edition 6 of 12. All images courtesy of L\u2019SPACE Gallery, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Surreal Figures Step from Leonora Carrington\u2019s Paintings into \u2018Shape of Dreams\u2019<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-06-18T09:11:34-05:00\">June 18, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/kmothes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Kate Mothes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F06%2Fleonora-carrington-shape-of-dreams-sculptures-jewelry%2F&amp;title=Surreal%20Figures%20Step%20from%20Leonora%20Carrington%27s%20Paintings%20into%20%26%238216%3BShape%20of%20Dreams%27\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"475048\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Raised in a wealthy, well-connected family in England, the young <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leocarrington.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Leonora Carrington<\/a> (1917-2011) glommed onto stories her mother and grandmother told of Celtic folk tales about mythical beings in Ireland. Her imagination ran rampant as a child, and a rebellious spirit earned her expulsion from more than one convent school for antics like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reaction.life\/p\/a-surreal-life-leonora-carrington\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">writing backwards<\/a> and even trying to levitate. Later, her father insisted she be presented to the court of King George V at a debutante ball and was expected to \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.leonoracarringtonmuseo.org\/en\/leonora-carrington\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">marry well<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Art and fantasy continued to call to Carrington, though, and not to be sallied by social convention, she attended the Chelsea School of Art, discovered Surrealism at the 1936 <em>International Surrealist Exhibition<\/em>, and developed a close relationship with artist Max Ernst. Over time, through Ernst\u2019s connections, she got to know veritable art historical titans like Andr\u00e9 Breton, Salvador Dal\u00ed, Joan Mir\u00f3, Pablo Picasso, and more.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/carrington-222.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475048\" title=\"\u201cGato de la Noche\u201d (2010), lost-wax bronze casting\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cGato de la Noche\u201d (2010), lost-wax bronze casting\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cGato de la Noche\u201d (2010), lost-wax bronze casting\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2380\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/carrington-222.jpg\" alt=\"a surreal bronze sculpture of a cloaked figure\" class=\"wp-image-475165\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cGato de la Noche\u201d (2010), lost-wax bronze casting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The prolific artist may be known foremost for her otherworldly paintings, but the artist\u2019s oeuvre extends far beyond the two-dimensional surface. <em>Shape of Dreams<\/em> at <a href=\"https:\/\/lspacegallery.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">L\u2019SPACE Gallery<\/a> highlights Carrington\u2019s imaginative approach to sculpture and wearable art, particularly through large-scale lost-wax bronze sculptures and gold-plated jewelry. The vast majority of the sculptures were cast toward the end of Carrington\u2019s lifetime, with just a few made posthumously.<\/p>\n<p>Dreamy surrealist fictions seeped into every aspect of Carrington\u2019s work. She was profoundly influenced by traumatic experiences during World War II, which led to a months-long stay in a psychiatric institution. Once she was discharged, she eventually settled in Mexico, where she lived in a kind of exile and made <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/leonora-carrington\">surreal work<\/a> that investigates the nature of transience and uncertainty, especially through motifs like floating creatures and shifting landscapes. \u201cThere are exhibitions that begin with scholarship, and there are exhibitions that begin with intuition,\u201d the gallery says. \u201c<em>Shape of Dreams<\/em> began with a simple but persistent question: what happens when the fantastical beings that inhabit Leonora Carrington\u2019s paintings step out of the canvas and into our world?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, the mythical, pagan character of the artist\u2019s three-dimensional works are drawn directly from the figures in her paintings. Cloaked figures, strange masks, and human-animal hybrids populate a fantastical, magical world. \u201cThe sculptures appear almost in procession, as though Carrington\u2019s creatures, priestesses, hybrid animals, and dream-beings have stepped out of the pictorial plane and entered the gallery space,\u201d says a statement.<\/p>\n<p><em>Shape of Dreams <\/em>continues through July 25 in New York. You may also be interested in a new biopic titled <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/05\/leonora-in-the-morning-light-carrington-film\/\">Leonora in the Morning Light<\/a><\/em>, plus the exhibition <em>Leonora Carrington: Portrait of a Singular Artist,<\/em> which continues through July 19 at the <a href=\"https:\/\/museeduluxembourg.fr\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mus\u00e9e du Luxembourg<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/carrington-111.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475048\" title=\"Detail of \u201cGato de la Noche\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cGato de la Noche\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cGato de la Noche\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2471\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/carrington-111.jpg\" alt=\"a detail of a surreal bronze sculpture of a cloaked figure wearing a mask with long rods or spikes\" class=\"wp-image-475164\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cGato de la Noche\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/carrington-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475048\" title=\"\u201cThe Inventor of Atole\u201d (2011), lost-wax bronze casting, 51 x 23 x 31.5 inches, A\/P edition\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cThe Inventor of Atole\u201d (2011), lost-wax bronze casting, 51 x 23 x 31.5 inches, A\/P edition\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cThe Inventor of Atole\u201d (2011), lost-wax bronze casting, 51 x 23 x 31.5 inches, A\/P edition\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2787\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/carrington-5.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-475053\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cThe Inventor of Atole\u201d (2011), lost-wax bronze casting, 51 x 23 x 31.5 inches, A\/P edition<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/carrington-44.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475048\" title=\"\u201cLooking In\u201d (2010), lost-wax bronze casting, 5 x 13 x 12.5 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cLooking In\u201d (2010), lost-wax bronze casting, 5 x 13 x 12.5 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cLooking In\u201d (2010), lost-wax bronze casting, 5 x 13 x 12.5 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1731\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/carrington-44.jpg\" alt=\"a surreal bronze sculpture in the shape of a round mask with embossed hands\" class=\"wp-image-475163\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cLooking In\u201d (2010), lost-wax bronze casting, 5 x 13 x 12.5 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/carrington-6.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475048\" title=\"\u201cBailarin,\u201d 24k gold-plate on 0.925 sterling silver, gemstones, 3 x 2 x 0.3 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cBailarin,\u201d 24k gold-plate on 0.925 sterling silver, gemstones, 3 x 2 x 0.3 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cBailarin,\u201d 24k gold-plate on 0.925 sterling silver, gemstones, 3 x 2 x 0.3 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2241\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/carrington-6.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-475054\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cBailarin,\u201d 24k gold-plate on 0.925 sterling silver, gemstones, 3 x 2 x 0.3 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/carrington-33.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475048\" title=\"\u201cLa Madre de los Lobos\u201d (2008), lost-wax bronze casting\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cLa Madre de los Lobos\u201d (2008), lost-wax bronze casting\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cLa Madre de los Lobos\u201d (2008), lost-wax bronze casting\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2985\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/carrington-33.jpg\" alt=\"a surreal bronze sculpture of a phantasmic figure with large hands, a cape or cloak, and a horned headdress\" class=\"wp-image-475162\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cLa Madre de los Lobos\u201d (2008), lost-wax bronze casting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/carrington-9.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475048\" title=\"\u201cUnknown\u201d (2010), lost-wax bronze casting, 42.5 x 19 x 20 inches, edition 7 of 10\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cUnknown\u201d (2010), lost-wax bronze casting, 42.5 x 19 x 20 inches, edition 7 of 10\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cUnknown\u201d (2010), lost-wax bronze casting, 42.5 x 19 x 20 inches, edition 7 of 10\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2116\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/carrington-9.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-475057\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cUnknown\u201d (2010), lost-wax bronze casting, 42.5 x 19 x 20 inches, edition 7 of 10<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/carrington-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475048\" title=\"\u201cCatwoman\u201d (2011), lost-wax bronze casting, 36 x 11 x 24 inches, edition 8 of 10\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cCatwoman\u201d (2011), lost-wax bronze casting, 36 x 11 x 24 inches, edition 8 of 10\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cCatwoman\u201d (2011), lost-wax bronze casting, 36 x 11 x 24 inches, edition 8 of 10\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1922\" height=\"3891\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/carrington-2.jpg\" alt=\"a bronze sculpture of a female figure with a cat-like face\" class=\"wp-image-475050\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cCatwoman\u201d (2011), lost-wax bronze casting, 36 x 11 x 24 inches, edition 8 of 10<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a 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inches, edition 6 of 12. All images courtesy of L\u2019SPACE Gallery, shared with permission Surreal Figures Step from Leonora Carrington\u2019s Paintings into \u2018Shape of Dreams\u2019 June 18, 2026 Art Kate Mothes Share Email Bookmark Raised in a wealthy, well-connected family in England, the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-1997648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1997648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1997648"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1997648\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1997648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1997648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1997648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}