Leonora Carrington & The Living Occult

The surreal universe of Leonora Carrington is contagious, seeding dreams in the minds of artists and mystics. Her approach blends magic, artwork, and transformative alchemy in a complex symbolic language which Carrington described as mysterious even to herself. The inheritors of this legacy are left to contend with the mysteries of Leonora’s beasts, spirits, laboratories, and landscapes, carrying forth inspiration from the mystic genius of her work.

Join L'Space Gallery and Melissa Madara in presenting a live discussion between three female artists and occultists of the modern era, who will explore the meaning of Leonora’s legacy for creatives and mystics today. We are pleased to welcome panelists Anna Marie Tendler, Alexis Karl, and Jess Schnabel to reveal how Leonora lives on in their mystic and creative practices, and discuss her life, works, and process as a source of inspiration for generations to come.

About L'Space Gallery: Founded in 2023 by artist and curator Lili Almog, L'SPACE Gallery is a contemporary art gallery dedicated to research-driven, thematically focused exhibitions that foreground strong visual languages and experimental practices. The gallery advances cross-disciplinary dialogue and material exploration through original curatorial projects, related programming, and sustained collaborations with artists, curators, and cultural organizations.

About Melissa Madara: An occultist, author, and educator, teaching magic and witchcraft from a historical perspective. Their work explores history, animism, plant folklore, and traditional crafts through the lens of witchcraft and esoterica. Melissa is the curator of Moon Cult, an online community of curious witches who learn and practice together. Find Melissa’s interviews in the New York Times, Vice, Teen Vogue, and Refinery 29, or see their published works in Fiddler's Green, Venefica Magazine, or their two books, The Witch’s Feast & The Witch’s Workshop. Follow Melissa at mooncvlt.com or on IG @moon.cultus

About Alexis Karl: A multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker, perfumer, musician, and professor whose work merges large-scale, scent-driven installations with film and live performance. Collaborating with her gothic troupe, LEX and The Cult of Spirits, she creates immersive, aromatic and musical experiences rooted in ritual and myth. Her feature film ANTON premiered at The Big Apple Film Festival, and she is currently completing a second feature alongside a series of experimental, horror-inflected dance films. Her cinematic work has received over thirty international film and screenwriting awards. Karl teaches The Art of Scent at Pratt Institute, where she explores fragrance as an artistic medium through history and anthropology, with a focus on folkloric magic and ritual. She is also a regular guest lecturer at the Harvard University Museums. Her writing on aromatics in art history and cultural anthropology has appeared in Perfumer & Flavorist, Basenotes, Venefica, and Art511 Magazine.

About Anna Marie Tendler:  A writer and visual artist. Her memoir, Men Have Called Her Crazy, debuted at #2 on the New York Times Best Seller list and was met with praise from The New York Times, The Atlantic, W Magazine, TIME, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and NPR. She holds an M.A. in fashion and textile history from NYU’s Costume Studies program. Anna lives in the woods with her cats, Moon and Butte, where she is currently working on her next book.About 

Jess Schnabel:  APhiladelphia-based writer as well as the founder and creative director of Blood Milk Jewels. Bringing together her love of Surrealism, Victorian mourning practices and the magic within books, Jess designs talismanic jewels for those seeking beauty and comfort in a liminal time. For more, visitbloodmilkjewels.com or on IG @bloodmilk