Kendal Murray: Enchanting Miniature Dreamscapes

Australian artist Kendal Murray transforms ordinary items into extraordinary miniature worlds that invite viewers into dreamlike narratives. Her mixed-media assemblages use found objects such as teacups, compact mirrors, and grass-covered purses as stages for tiny figurines to enact playful scenarios.

Murray's artistic journey with miniatures began with her collection of compacts and her research exploring how fantasy informs identity. "I was intrigued by the power of a miniature scene to entice you into the narrative space," she explains. "You are granted only wishful access as you peek into the scene, holding the miniature world in your hand."

Each intricate creation begins with a stable foundation—often a compact mirror or vintage child-size tea set—upon which Murray meticulously builds layers of landscaping. She carefully positions repainted model train figurines, crafts custom trees, adds clay birds, and incorporates natural elements like pebbles. The edges of saucers become roads or paths, while cups transform into hills holding vegetation, rocks, and water pools. The detailed painting process requires at least five coats of paint to achieve the desired effect.

"I enjoy combining materials to create surprise, questioning, reflection and recognition," Murray shares. "I like how curiosity and empathy can be communicated through materials and techniques in sculptural artwork, creating narrative and instigating conversation."

Her work explores the space between dream and memory, play and identity, drawing inspiration from childhood experiences in nature. The miniature tableaux evoke fond memories of climbing trees, jumping into piles of colorful leaves, building cubby houses with sticks and stones, and discovering insects and their habitats—places where imagination could flow freely.

Murray's sculptures invite personal engagement with the characters and their narratives. The wear and patina on the repurposed objects suggest their history as usable items while adding personality to the stories being told. Each tableau vivant in miniature is imbued with social, symbolic, and personal meanings that encourage viewers to project their own desires into these tiny worlds.

Based in Sydney, Murray lectures in Design at Western Sydney University. Her work has been exhibited in numerous solo and group shows, and is held in public and private collections across Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand, the UK, New York, and Australia, including the Powerhouse Museum and various regional galleries.