From Superrealism to Mythologies: A Bold New Chapter in Sculpture

Art celebrates beauty, form, and technical virtuosity. But many works leave the viewer only looking at the surface, with no deeper story to uncover. The challenge for contemporary artists is to find new ways to create meaning, while keeping the human experience at the centre of their work.

Carole A. Feuerman takes on that challenge with a powerful new body of work that reinvents the role of the human figure in sculpture. Celebrated internationally for her Superrealist sculptures, Feuerman is introducing Mythologies, a series of works that recasts the body as a locus of intersecting memory, mythology, identity, and meaning. This new direction expands her artistic practice, while developing themes that have defined her work for decades.

A New Direction for the Human Figure

For decades, Feuerman has been known for her Superrealist depictions of the human body. Her sculptures capture moments of stillness and psychological depth, offering the viewer a silent but powerful experience.

In Mythologies, the figure takes on a new role.

The body transforms from a mere object of observation into a vehicle of narrative. It has stories, symbols, and ideas that are more than just physical appearance. This change is an important evolution in Feuerman’s artistic process and opens up new avenues for how sculpture can convey meaning.

The Body as a Living Archive

At the center of this new methodology is the idea that the body can hold history, memory, and cultural meaning.

Feuerman paints intricate mythological imagery directly onto the surface of her figures. These images are inspired by ancient Greek mythology and transform the body into a visual text.

The tattoos within the work are not decorative elements. Instead, they function as:

●     Narrative structures

●     Symbols of transformation

●     Carriers of memory

●     Explorations of identity

●     Reflections on power and responsibility

The surface of the sculpture becomes more than an illusion of reality. It becomes a place where stories are inscribed and preserved.

Mythology Reimagined for the Present

The series Mythologies is inspired by Greek gods and goddesses like Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Artemis, and Atlas.

Rather than read mythology as a remote remnant of history, Feuerman uses these figures as lasting archetypes through which to investigate present-day concerns.

The work deals with themes such as:

●     Energy

●     Love

●     Sacrifice

●     Sisterhood

●     Desire

●     Vulnerability

●     Transformation

●     Responsibility

In this approach, modern life is understood through the means of mythology. Gods and goddesses are no longer symbols of unattainable perfection. They reflect the complexities that continue to shape the human experience.

Looking Beyond Beauty

Classical portrayals of mythology tend to highlight beauty, heroism, and ideal perfection. In Feuerman’s work, we see another face of these tales.

Beneath the visual harmony of the figures are stories of conflict, ambition, jealousy, betrayal, mortality, creation, and destruction.

The elegance and sensuality of the sculptures may be the initial attraction for viewers. A closer view reveals more and more layered symbolic worlds with:

●     Labyrinths

●     Heavenly bodies

●     Hidden faces

●     Serpent

●     Temples overrun by forest

●     Stairways without end

●     Surrealistic imagery

These elements become visual manuscripts that encourage the viewer to look deeper and find new meanings in the work.

Sculpture as Something to Read

What is perhaps most striking about Mythologies is the way it alters the relationship between sculpture and its viewer. Historically, sculpture is an art form that is viewed. Feuerman extends that experience by inviting viewers to engage with the work as image and text.

Her fractured backs and monumental standing figures work on a number of levels. They are physical forms, and they function as symbolic narratives. The viewer is invited to not only see the sculpture, but to interpret the layers of meaning.

Here, the body becomes a psychological and mythic vessel reflecting ancient human anxieties and shared cultural narratives.

Connecting Past and Present

Even though it introduces a new framework of ideas, Mythologies still continues Feuerman's ongoing inquiry into the human condition.

Her mastery of surface and her evocation of stillness are still in evidence. The difference is the addition of a deeper conceptual layer that deals with mythology, psychology, cultural symbolism, and art history.

The result is a body of work encompassing:

●     Classical and modern life.

●     Material precision and intellectual inquiry

●     Personal identity and group memory

●     Beauty & Conflict

●     Vulnerability and power

That balance allows the work to speak across time and still speak to ongoing conversations about identity and meaning.

A Significant Moment in an Ongoing Career

This new body of work arrives during an important period in Feuerman's career.

Recent exhibitions include Reborn into the Water at the Heydar Aliyev Center and The Voice of the Body at Palazzo Bonaparte in Rome. Her artistic journey is also currently reflected through From Line to Life, an exhibition of drawings from the 1960s at QCC Art Gallery in Queens, New York, and I Am Mine, Without Permission, her solo exhibition at Ethan Cohen Gallery in New York.

In addition, Feuerman was awarded the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Sculpture Center. Together, these milestones highlight an artist who continues to expand her practice while exploring new ways to communicate through sculpture.

Conclusion

Mythologies is a significant evolution of Carole A. Feuerman’s artistic vision. The series uses mythology, memory, and the body to create a sculpture as a forum for stories, symbols, and lived experience. It asks the viewer to look beyond the surface and to engage with deeper questions of identity, power, and transformation.

At Feuerman, we believe art can do more than just capture a moment. In works such as Mythologies, we continue to explore the human condition, making meaningful links between history, memory, and contemporary life. Explore how our evolving artistic vision transforms the body into a powerful narrative of identity, symbolism, and transformation.