Vibrant Miniature Dioramas by Shannon Taylor Burst from Vintage Compacts

From dusky woodland scenes to fantastical landscapes populated by mythical creatures, Shannon Taylor’s vibrant dioramas spring to life inside vintage cosmetic compacts. Sourced from flea markets, vintage shops, friends, and anywhere else they might appear, the vessels themselves are often brimming with character, but they let on little about what resides inside. Tiny mermaids, unicorns, and a range of flora and fauna made with watercolor on paper beckon us into a Polly Pocket-sized realm.

In addition to the inclusion of her work in Common Waters at Arch Enemy Arts, Taylor is preparing for a solo exhibition titled Minor Mending at Modern Eden in San Francisco, which opens on August 6. She also curated a show at the Oakland Museum of California titled Fairyland @ 75: A Legacy of Magic, organized on behalf of Children’s Fairyland, where she is Director of Art and Restoration. The show continues through the end of the summer. See more on Taylor’s Instagram.

a found cosmetic compact filled with a tiny watercolor diorama of a woman in a blue cloak, holding a rainbow, over a meadow of stars

a found cosmetic compact filled with a tiny watercolor diorama of horses running through a field with the northern lights above

Exterior of the diorama shown above

a found cosmetic compact filled with a tiny watercolor diorama of snails and a rainbow-filled sky

a sculptural cosmetic compact in the shape of a snail, photographed on a log outside — Exterior of the diorama shown above

a found cosmetic compact filled with a tiny watercolor diorama of a large red cat-like creature and a number of shooting stars with prismatic tails

a found cosmetic compact filled with a tiny watercolor diorama of a bat and red flowers

a found cosmetic compact filled with a tiny watercolor diorama of a unicorn made of flowers and its shadow or negative at the bottom in a field of flowers

a found cosmetic compact filled with a tiny watercolor diorama of a rainbow-filled sky being made in the studio — A diorama in progress

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