Dreaming in Color, a brand new exhibition on the Opera Gallery in London, revisits the surrealists of the former century, extra in homage than imitation.
I believe few of the rising artists incorporated right here – and unquestionably none of the ones I spoke to on opening morning – would consciously describe themselves as surrealists. But the surrealist aspiration to awaken a way of the marvellous and mysterious within the on a regular basis is unquestionably provide.
Take Sretenko (2025-2026) by way of the Spain-based Russian artist Sasha Zimulin, a bright panorama of his house suburb of Moscow. On this piece, Zimulin evokes now not the sight of town, however its atmosphere, and the sentiments stirred in any individual status at the fringe of the scene.
He’s one in all 25 global artists showcasing new works on this exhibition. Those works are complemented by way of the inclusion of a variety of ancient items by way of figures reminiscent of Picasso and Ron Arad. A few of them, particularly Chagall’s Multicoloured Clown (1974), unquestionably replicate the exhibition’s theme. But there is not any try to position those in discussion with the more recent works on which I will be able to pay attention right here.
The artists on display
One of the most consciously surreal paintings is that which additionally maximum immediately addresses the exhibition’s theme: Dreaming of the Style of Color (2025) by way of the Dutch artist Arjen. This provides an exuberant expression of synaesthesia – a neurological phenomenon the place stimulation of 1 sense triggers an enjoy in any other sense that isn’t being immediately stimulated, reminiscent of the feeling of tasting color.
Exhibited within sight are the 2 art work incorporated from the Warsaw-born, Paris-based artist Oh de Laval. Style has steadily been foregrounded in her paintings, as has the affect of Francis publisher 1st baron verulam. The latter is palpable right here, each within the color palette utilized in Untitled (2025) and within the act of violation, minutely captured in a tear.
No Name by way of Oh de Laval (2025).
Courtesy of Opera Gallery
As with surrealism, the artists exhibited right here use a variety of kinds and inventive language. As an example, Destroy within the Clouds (2025) by way of US-based Salvadorian artist Daniella Portillo typifies her emotional engagement with landscapes rendered nearly summary by way of her use of color and shape.
Extra consciously summary are items reminiscent of Paraiso #33 and Paraiso #34 by way of American-born, Spain-based Adrián Navarro. The ironic titles upload to their stressful allusions to the acquainted in unfamiliar settings.
This unsettling high quality could also be marked within the extra figurative paintings within the exhibition. Mexican-American artist Anna Ortiz is understood for her consciously surreal landscapes evocative of the erased pre-Columbian previous, right here mirrored within the dream-like Jaguar Reflejado (2025). A equivalent uneasiness could also be provide within the contribution of London-based Might Watson. She specialises in colourful and funny artwork of the on a regular basis, however this is it seems that Busy Dreaming (2025) of a shark, albeit one playfully surrounded by way of multicoloured balls.
Jaguar Reflejado by way of Anna Ortiz (2025).
Courtesy of Opera Gallery
Balls additionally function prominently in Pink Composition with Butter (2025) by way of Canadian-born, Los Angeles-based Andy Dixon. This voluptuous symbol reimagines the ancient depiction of the reclining feminine nude, even though this juxtaposition as a substitute turns out to mockingly recollect seedy intercourse scenes from the film Closing Tango in Paris (1972).
There are a number of filmic references. Spanish artist Xevi Sola defines his paintings as being like “filming a horror movie using relaxing pastel colours”. His paintings sits squarely inside of a surrealist custom in its efforts to impress a Jungian exploration of the darkest spaces of awareness. But right here he strikes clear of the collage-based way of earlier works. As a substitute, Behind the curtain I (2024) and Behind the curtain II (2024) disturb by way of depicting awkwardly adjoining figures, with one staring unnervingly directly out of the canvas on the viewer.
Eshu by way of Gustavo Nazareno (2025).
GUSN Studio
Eshu (2025) by way of the Brazilian artist Gustavo Nazareno is extra subtly subversive. He has turn into rightly celebrated for lush, robust depictions of Black our bodies in works that problem the canon of western portraiture and non secular artwork. Black spirituality, dignity and good looks are all powerfully evoked on this richly textured portray.
Some other artist who subverts ancient photographs is London-based Greek artist Niovi Kafantari. Her paintings, He Used to be Already Leaving (2026) reverses the gaze in Titian’s Venus and Adonis (1553-1554) to center of attention now not the power of the hunter, however the protective fingers flung round him.
A special more or less subversion is gifted in I’m Unfastened Tuesday (2025) by way of Brazilian-American Jonni Cheatwood. He’s famous for the use of a various vary of fabrics and pictures, but it is a extra muted piece wherein the colors of the meals at the desk recur within the faces of the diners. Shooting temper within the visage could also be a function of a number of different works right here, now not least the ones by way of Geneva-based Cameroonian artist Maurice Mboa and Nigerian portraitist Collins Obijiaku.
Now not all of those works are vibrant, in particular the sombre architectural kinds of Misty Days (2025) by way of Spanish artist Borja Colom. But that unquestionably has a dreamlike high quality.
Nor are a lot of these works essentially surreal. Some, reminiscent of Conjura (2024) by way of Spanish artist Miguel Sainz Ojeda, additionally draw on influences reminiscent of side road artwork to create a picture this is fantastical and disquieting.
Conjura by way of Spanish artist Miguel Sainz Ojeda (2024).
Courtesy of Opera Gallery
This means that any other theme of the exhibition is magical realism. Extra steadily noticed as a literary or cinematic style, magical realism is nevertheless invoked right here within the filmic environment and implicit storytelling embedded in lots of of those works.
In artwork, magical realism supplies a haunting and distorting viewpoint that demanding situations our perceptions. That is maximum conspicuously the case in Hitchcock’s Glass (2025) by way of Italian artist Mattia Barbalaco.
Brilliantly hung to most impact as you descend to the decrease flooring flooring, this luminous portray recreates each a scene from Hitchcock’s 1941 mystery Suspicion and conveys the suspenseful, unsettling high quality of goals.
Dreaming in Color is at London’s Opera Gallery till April 6
