Her work explores the depths of the mind and uses the fantastic as a tool for self-discovery. In Leonora Carrington’s work, the strange is not merely decorative: it takes the form of houses inhabited by invisible presences, bodies in transformation, and scenes of everyday life permeated by the invisible.
Travel as an Inner Experience
Travel lies at the heart of her work, but it goes far beyond mere geographical movement. Shaped by her exile between England and Mexico, Carrington transforms this experience into mental landscapes.
In her paintings, domestic spaces become unstable, sometimes constructed as multi-layered architectures: one level may evoke the visible world, while another represents deeper realms linked to the unconscious.
This layered structure conveys the impression of a world where multiple realities coexist constantly, as if one could be in a concrete place and an inner space at the same time.
Symbols, Myths, and Metamorphoses
Carrington draws on folktales, myths, and mystical traditions to construct a highly personal visual language. Her works depict hybrid figures—humans blended with animals, beings in the process of transformation, and strange presences integrated into everyday life.
In certain scenes, the simplest gestures—eating, living, moving—are surrounded by symbolic elements, as if each action were opening up an invisible dimension.
Another Interpretation of Reality
Transformation is central to her work: forms change, identities shift, and the boundaries between humans, animals, and spirits become porous. This instability is not chaos, but a way of representing a world in constant motion. Thus, the fantastical in Carrington’s work does not stand in opposition to reality. On the contrary, it reveals reality’s invisible zones and inner depths.
An experience to be enjoyed at the Museum through July 19, 2026.
Check it out
The Fantastic and the Strange: Leonora Carrington’s Inner Journeys
Mexico: Leonora Carrington's place of refuge
Leonora Carrington, a unique voice in Surrealism
