Leonora Carrington explores themes of metamorphosis, magic, and biblical allegory. She populates her compositions with hybrid creatures and human figures fused with mythical and imagined beasts–a confrontation between the material world and the world of dreams. Her art combines a diversity of philosophical musings as embodied in Celtic mythology, ancient rabbinic mysticism, and an emphasis on the animal kingdom and the natural world.
Among the early European surrealists, Carrington is a pioneer in her century-spanning explorations of the subconscious and her portrayal of imagery related to mystical experience. Along with her notable painting practice, she utilizes lithography and other print media to communicate these concepts with an ethereal and delicate mastery of the drawn line.