Belly Ache by George Rouy @georgerouy From November 26, 2022 — December 22, 2022 at Almine Rech gallery @alminerech , Paris, Turenne. Recent theories suggest that our gut may function as a regulator of our emotions, alongside the brain. In every language, however, many idioms relating to the gut, express conflict or discomfort. George Rouy has portrayed such images in his paintings for many years. The belly not only affects our psyche but also is the origin of childbirth, where creation takes place. Rouy is eager to reaffirm this, loud and clear: in his mind, to paint is to give birth. The artwork thus takes on the same eminently intimate character as the body itself. The painting is revealed like an experience told, a state of health and consciousness in a particular moment. Rouy fashions his bodies like golems, both incomplete and undead. His bodies venture into the field of energy and vibration, sometimes verging on the ghostly, and become pretexts to develop mental landscapes, and collections of ideas. Photos by Olivier Zahm @ozpurple