Fairy tales like Alice in Wonderland are often associated with the comforting nostalgia of Disney movies, but the truth is that these stories usually have darker origins. Italy-based artist Simona Candini has leaned into this darker side, reimagining the beloved Lewis Carroll story with an eerie yet cute twist. Her series Alice in Pumpkinland takes the title heroine on a spooky adventure, hanging out with both characters from the aforementioned Alice in Wonderland and other Halloween-inspired figures.
“I’ve always loved the atmosphere and symbolism of Halloween: its gothic stories, its mythical creatures, and its connection to the mysterious,” the artist tells My Modern Met. “In this series, Alice represents the inner child, a recurring figure in my work, and her journey through dreamlike worlds becomes an encounter with the gothic icons of literature and folklore. Each meeting reflects an exploration of the ‘dark side,’ but not in a sinister way. These creatures, from Frankenstein to the Werewolf, are not villains, but companions guiding Alice, and us, toward understanding them and, ultimately, ourselves.”
Candini has long found inspiration in fairy tales, allowing her to blend innocence with mystery. “I like to reinterpret those tales, revealing the tension between the cute and the unsettling, the sweet and the eerie,” the artist shares. “Through this contrast, I try to restore a more authentic emotional truth, one that speaks about inner fears, hidden desires, and the monsters that live within us.”
The artist aspires for the viewer’s eye to wander across her compositions, discovering new elements each time they look. It’s meant to feel like you’re analyzing a dream that keeps revealing new layers. For Candini, the creation of each piece is a similar process of exploration. She builds on the contrast between light and dark, which has proven to be a brilliant way to stay creative.
“I would get endlessly bored if I had to stay in just one direction,” Candini confesses. “I don’t want to be an artist who only paints cheerful, colorful, cute worlds, I love those too, but I also need the gothic, the dark, the mysterious. I like to move freely between the creepy and the cute, and often bring them together in the same composition. I’ve always felt a quiet connection with the monsters and villains in stories, not because I see myself in them, but because I understand what they represent.”
For the artist, painting these beings feels like giving a voice to the misunderstood, and exploring the beauty that can exist even in the shadows. As a creative person since childhood, Candini found a way to express wonder in drawing and painting. After giving a career in science a try, she taught herself how to paint in 2010, and became a full-time artist. She is particularly drawn to oil painting, and devotes long hours to honing her technique.
“I love the slow, deliberate pace of oil painting, the ability to blend and make changes, and the way a piece can evolve gradually, day by day,” she says. “That patience and flexibility resonate with how I work and think.”
The painter also shares that what matters most in her art is its power to convey emotions and create moments of joy, wonder, and connection. “Each painting carries a piece of my heart, and when it resonates with someone, often a deeply sensitive soul, it becomes a bridge between me and the wider world,” she says.
“Knowing that my work will inhabit homes across continents, touching lives far away, feels like a fragment of me is traveling, meeting new and beautiful realities. I believe art has the power to nurture both the creator and the viewer, and surrounding ourselves with objects that carry beauty and meaning can profoundly shape the energy of our everyday lives.”
Candini’s Alice in Pumpkinland will be on view until November 1 at Copro Gallery in Santa Monica, California. If you can’t make it, you can browse and purchase work on Simona Candini’s website. To stay up to date with the artist, follow Simona Candini on Instagram.
Italy-based artist Simona Candini reimagines Alice in Wonderland with an eerie yet cute twist.
Her series Alice in Pumpkinland takes the title heroine on a spooky adventure, hanging out with both characters from the Lewis Carroll story and Halloween-inspired figures.
“In this series, Alice represents the inner child, a recurring figure in my work, and her journey through dreamlike worlds becomes an encounter with the gothic icons of literature and folklore.”
“These creatures, from Frankenstein to the Werewolf, are not villains, but companions guiding Alice, and us, toward understanding them and, ultimately, ourselves.”
Candini has long found inspiration in fairy tales, allowing her to blend innocence with mystery.
“I like to reinterpret those tales, revealing the tension between the cute and the unsettling, the sweet and the eerie,” the artist shares.
“Each painting carries a piece of my heart, and when it resonates with someone, often a deeply sensitive soul, it becomes a bridge between me and the wider world.”
Exhibition Information:
Simona Candini
Alice in Pumpkinland
October 11–November 1
Copro Gallery
2525 Michigan Avenue #T5, Santa Monica, California. United States.
Simona Candini: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Simona Candini. Quotes have been edited for lentgth and clarity.
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