Opera Gallery's Dreaming in Colour Exhibition Explores Surrealism Through Chromatic Expression

Opera Gallery in London presented the group exhibition Dreaming in Colour from March 5 to April 6, 2026, examining how contemporary artists employ color within surrealist traditions. The show featured twenty-five artists, including Gustavo Nazareno, Xevi Solà, and Oh de Laval, who use vivid palettes to convey psychological depth and narrative complexity. Nazareno's 2025 portrait Eshu utilizes specific hues to reference Yoruba deities, while Solà manipulates color to evoke emotional responses rather than depict reality accurately. De Laval employs deceptive color schemes to explore darker themes beneath superficially bright surfaces. The exhibition emerges amid continued institutional interest in surrealism following the movement's 2024 centenary, marked by global exhibitions including Centre Pompidou's final show before its temporary closure. Recent surrealism-themed displays include the V&A's Schiaparelli exhibition Fashion Becomes Art. Artists in Dreaming in Colour argue that color serves as a primary vehicle for imaginative expression, particularly relevant in an era where artificial intelligence challenges human creativity. The show positions color not merely as decorative but as essential to constructing meaning and accessing subconscious realms, continuing a lineage that includes historical figures like Fernand Léger, who considered color as vital as fundamental elements.