Emma Kathleen Hepburn Ferrer's Exhibition of Her New Series, The Unicorn, and Other Creatures of Hope
At UMass Dartmouth Galleries, Emma Ferrer’s latest collection of work, The Unicorn, and Other Creatures of Hope, decorates the walls, marking her first institutional solo exhibition in the U.S.
Emma Kathleen Hepburn Ferrer (Italy/US)
The Unicorn, and Other Creatures of Hope (UMass Dartmouth), 2025
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Resonating deeply with the emotions many are currently facing, her art interprets sacred imagery of the well-known Unicorn and other mythical beings as metaphoric symbols of captivity, redemption, and spiritual longing.
Emma Kathleen Hepburn Ferrer (Italy/US)
The Unicorn, and Other Creatures of Hope (UMass Dartmouth), 2025
(Image 2/4)
A King is Born (Side A & B), 2025 uses oil and gold leaf on wood in a majestic and storybook way. Her ideas about the Unicorn, among other themes, present a nearly surreal interpretation of freedom, justice, and purity. These concepts remain prevalent and a recall to many initial understandings of what a unicorn represents inside the tales many have heard since childhood.
Emma Kathleen Hepburn Ferrer (Italy/US)
The Unicorn's Dream, 2025
Oil and mineral pigment on hand-primed linen
31 1/2 x 27 1/2 in
80 x 70 cm
(SC-EF-047)
The Unicorn’s Dream, 2025 is oil and mineral pigment on hand-primed linen. Emma Ferrer has had a decade-long fascination with the “Unicorn Tapestries” in the Met Cloisters collection.
During the development phase of these creations, Ferrer collected unicorn tales from Neolithic fertility rituals and Indian folklore, as well as the more widely recognized legends that traverse Greek mythology, medieval stories, and Christion symbolism.
Emma Kathleen Hepburn Ferrer (Italy/US)
The Annunciation of the Unicorn, 2025
Oil on linen
13 3/4 x 5 7/8 in
35 x 15 cm
(SC-EF-060)
With innocence comes the death of innocence, when real life comes to challenge how we view the world through stories and real-life events that affect us. This is explored beautifully through multiple of the works.
Left:
Emma Kathleen Hepburn Ferrer (Italy/US)
The Chosen One , 2025
Oil and 24k gold leaf on jute
35 3/8 x 35 3/8 in
90 x 90 cm
(SC-EF-061)
Right:
Emma Kathleen Hepburn Ferrer (Italy/US)
Orb, 2025
Oil on panel
23 5/8 x 19 3/4 in
60 x 50 cm
(SC-EF-054)
This collection is one of fable, innocence, and the relation between all of us. There is a child-like wonder that lives on in these artworks.
You are available to view the full magic of her new collection, Emma Ferrer’s exhibition runs from November 6, 2025, to January 14, 2026.
Article by Seana Watson, Associate Fashion Editor, PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets by Daniel López, Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
*All images courtesy of Sapar Contemporary Gallery