Leonora Carrington

An English-born painter who entered the world of Surrealism under the guidance of Max Ernst, Leonora Carrington developed the majority of her work in Mexico. Born in Lancashire, England, into a wealthy textile-making family, she was sent to Italy in 1936 before enrolling at the Amédée Ozenfant Academy, where she studied drawing and painting. In 1937 she met Max Ernst, with whom she moved to Paris, where she became acquainted with the Surrealist group.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, she left for Spain and Portugal, where she met the Mexican diplomat Renato Leduc. They married in 1941 and travelled to New York. After arriving in Mexico in 1942 and divorcing a year later, she met Sir Edward James, who supported her Surrealist practice. From 1948 onwards, she held numerous solo and group exhibitions in New York, Mexico, Japan, Brazil, and elsewhere.

She also worked in sculpture, writing, set design, jewellery design, woodcarving, and ceramics. A strong advocate for women’s rights, she participated in the Mexican feminist movement in 1972. In 2000, she received the Order of the British Empire, and in 2005 the National Prize for Arts and Sciences. She was also named an honorary citizen of Mexico City.