Leonor Fini and Stanislao Lepri

Palazzo Donà Brusa in Venice presents an exhibition that explores the intertwined artistic worlds of Leonor Fini (1907–1996) and Stanislao Lepri (1905–1980). Curated by Tommaso Calabro, the show brings together works spanning from the 1930s to the 1970s, offering insight into nearly half a century of their creative collaboration and mutual influence.

Fini, born in Buenos Aires and raised in Trieste, was a central figure of Surrealism, recognised for her mythological and erotic imagery, as well as her depictions of fluid, ever-changing identities. Lepri, originally a diplomat, left his political career to follow Fini to Rome and later Paris, developing a pictorial language of landscapes and figures that oscillate between reality and dream. Their work shares a fascination with oneiric atmospheres and impossible architectures, reflecting a deep personal and artistic affinity.

The exhibition presents a selection of Fini’s drawings, theatre studies, and graphic works alongside Lepri’s visionary landscapes and enigmatic characters. Rather than following a chronological or thematic structure, the works are arranged to create a dialogue of formal and symbolic resonances, highlighting the harmony and complementarity of their respective practices.

By juxtaposing their creations, the exhibition offers a unique perspective on two artists whose shared vision and personal connection shaped a distinct, imaginative universe in European Surrealism.