Louis Carreon’s Ballerina Series Dances Its Way to Paseo Nuevo

When the Nutcracker ballerinas take the stage in December, it is something to behold. Pristine, poised, floating across the stage with a kind of fragile magic that keeps Santa Barbara waiting every year.

The glimmer, the mastery, the movements so incessantly rehearsed, seemingly all done with the goal of that final bow — that standing ovation.

For international artist Louis Carreon, being an artist is much the same.

“You see ballerinas on a stage, you congratulate them, and it’s this visceral movement, but you don’t see the decades of pain and work — the bruises and broken bones,” Carreon said. “Artists are similar. You see us when we step out for the night and present, but not the lifetime of pain it takes to get to that very short moment where we get awarded.”

This connection between beauty and breakability is the catalyst for his new ballerina series, which arrives in Santa Barbara for a special pop-up gallery at Paseo Nuevo December 12-21.

Carreon is taking the idealized ballerina figure and breaking it open to reveal the emotional and physical intensity underneath — just in time for audiences to appreciate those dancers a little more when Nutcracker performances begin.

“They’re very figurative, basic, and stretched-out illustrations,” he explained. “They almost look like aliens, with these long, pink, feminine bodies that seem to float or stretch beyond a dark canvas.”

Gallery specialist Elias Benson is bringing Carreon’s work to Santa Barbara for the first time through his company, 808 Front Street LLC. With experience opening galleries around the globe and handling one of the world’s most expensive photographs, Benson is a seasoned figure in the contemporary art world.

“Art’s always been in my soul,” Benson said. “I remember meeting Louis a couple years ago, falling in love with one of his ballerina pieces, and knew I needed to bring it to Santa Barbara.”

The experience should be immersive, he explained. A chance for visitors to connect directly with Carreon’s vision. “I hope people take away his feelings in the art,” he said. “You always want art to evoke emotion. If you can’t put it in your heart, you can’t put it in your home.”

Carreon’s versatility spans acrylics, oils, spray paint, and even unconventional materials such as crayons or mud-soaked fabrics. Despite having no formal art training and a past marked by addiction, this former graffiti artist said, “I went from a young kid painting streets and federal prison to painting private jets and showing in galleries around the world. It’s been a journey of climbing through adversity and proving that self-taught art can transcend any background.”

“He’s very eccentric, very esoteric — the kind of artist you feel the energy from as soon as you meet him,” Benson said. “People connect to his soul and his passion, and that connection is what makes collecting his work so meaningful.”

While it is the focal point, the pop-up isn’t just about ballerinas. Carreon’s gallery brings together a mix of spirit birds, shamans, and culturally infused works that explore spirituality, transcendence, and human experience.

From his shaman series reflecting Mother Nature and plant medicine, to pieces inspired by Catholic and indigenous imagery, the gallery moves fluidly across themes and mediums.

Carreon’s pieces, once sold for a few thousand dollars, now fetch six-figure sums and are collected and insured worldwide.

“Art frees me, and it saves my life every year. I always thought it was a curse as a kid, until I turned it into a blessing,” Carreon said.

The pop-up is December 12-21 at 819-D Paseo Nuevo, with a VIP preview on December 18. Carreon will appear in person on select days, including the middle of the week, as he works and interacts with guests.