The Body Speaks
- Press release
- Artist
- Works
- Installation Views
- Press
- Events
-
Share
- X
- Tumblr
-
-
Press Release TextGuts Gallery is incredibly excited to present The Body Speaks, a group exhibition that explores how distortion in figuration can be used to plumb the depths of the human psyche.
In The Body Speaks, the human figure takes centre stage. Throughout the exhibition, artists experiment with form, colour, and gestural mark-making to imbue the human figure with the power to express what is usually kept hidden within. Here, inner conflicts, trauma, memories, dreams, and nightmares are transmuted into the visual world and given language through the disruption of the physical body.
In one work, two bodies merge and disappear into one another through an act of violent struggle. In another, lustrous, satin-like skin shudders and swells into balloon-like, billowing forms. Elsewhere, a physical form begins to ooze and spread across the composition as if it were viewed through a distorted glass. In a different work, an outstretched limb effaces itself and evolves into scratchy, bewildering abstraction on the canvas. From this, it is clear that the bodies within The Body Speaks are not quite stable. They are not closed-off, finished units. Instead, they are ever-changing, visual manifestations of the artist coming to terms with the constant, mystifying fluctuations of human emotion.
Each work within The Body Speaks depicts the human form on the precipice. Throughout the show, fleshy figures squirm, writhe, and contort themselves into entirely new bodily configurations. The viewer watches as each molten form begins to soften, seep, and overflow its own boundaries before finally coagulating and fusing the disparate parts together once again. As a result, the bodies depicted within The Body Speaks seem to be permanently on the brink of total metamorphosis, as if the artist has captured the swirling, seething stages before a new, altered form is brought into existence.
-
Artist
-
Works
- Shadi Al AtallahFlour in your hands, 2025Ink, chinagraph pencil and acrylic on canvas155 x 120 cm
61 x 47 1/4 in%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EShadi%20Al%20Atallah%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EFlour%20in%20your%20hands%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2025%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EInk%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3Echinagraph%20pencil%20and%20acrylic%20on%20canvas%3Cbr/%3E%0A%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E155%20x%20120%20cm%3Cbr/%3E%0A61%20x%2047%201/4%20in%3C/div%3E - Shadi Al AtallahYour mouth is a water skin, 2025Ink, chinagraph pencil and acrylic on canvas155 x 120 cm
61 x 47 1/4 in%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EShadi%20Al%20Atallah%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EYour%20mouth%20is%20a%20water%20skin%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2025%20%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EInk%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3Echinagraph%20pencil%20and%20acrylic%20on%20canvas%3Cbr/%3E%0A%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E155%20x%20120%20cm%3Cbr/%3E%0A61%20x%2047%201/4%20in%3C/div%3E - Vanessa LiemLightbath, 2024Oil on canvas152.4 x 121.9 cm
60 x 48 in%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EVanessa%20Liem%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3ELightbath%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2024%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EOil%20on%20canvas%20%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E152.4%20x%20121.9%20cm%3Cbr/%3E%0A60%20x%2048%20in%3C/div%3E - Vanessa LiemLightbath II, 2024Oil on canvas60 x 70 cm
23 5/8 x 27 1/2 in%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EVanessa%20Liem%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3ELightbath%20II%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2024%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EOil%20on%20canvas%20%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E60%20x%2070%20cm%3Cbr/%3E%0A23%205/8%20x%2027%201/2%20in%3C/div%3E - Yi LiuThe Hunt 1 , 2025Oil, acrylic on linen100 x 100 cm
39 3/8 x 39 3/8 in%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EYi%20Liu%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EThe%20Hunt%201%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2025%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EOil%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3Eacrylic%20on%20linen%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E100%20x%20100%20cm%3Cbr/%3E%0A39%203/8%20x%2039%203/8%20in%3C/div%3E - Yi LiuThe Hunt 2 , 2025Oil, acrylic on linen110 x 75 cm
43 1/4 x 29 1/2 in%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EYi%20Liu%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EThe%20Hunt%202%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2025%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EOil%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3Eacrylic%20on%20linen%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E110%20x%2075%20cm%3Cbr/%3E%0A43%201/4%20x%2029%201/2%20in%3C/div%3E - Elsa RouySaving face, 2024Acrylic on canvas70 x 40 cm
27 1/2 x 15 3/4 in%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EElsa%20Rouy%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3ESaving%20face%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2024%20%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EAcrylic%20on%20canvas%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E70%20x%2040%20cm%3Cbr/%3E%0A27%201/2%20x%2015%203/4%20in%3C/div%3E - Georgia SempleA Weighted Exchange, 2024Oil, acrylic on canvas200 x 140 cm
78 3/4 x 55 1/8 in%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EGeorgia%20Semple%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EA%20Weighted%20Exchange%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2024%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EOil%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3Eacrylic%20on%20canvas%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E200%20x%20140%20cm%3Cbr/%3E%0A78%203/4%20x%2055%201/8%20in%3C/div%3E - Georgia SempleEat or toil, 2024Oil, acrylic on canvas140 x 100 cm
55 1/8 x 39 3/8 in%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EGeorgia%20Semple%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EEat%20or%20toil%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2024%20%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EOil%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3Eacrylic%20on%20canvas%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E140%20x%20100%20cm%3Cbr/%3E%0A55%201/8%20x%2039%203/8%20in%3C/div%3E
-
Installation shots
-
Press
-
Events
Guts Gallery HQ
Unit 2 Sidings House
10 Andre Street Hackney
London, E8 2AA
Opening Times: Tue - Sat 11am - 6pm
General: info@gutsgallery.co.uk
Sales: sales@gutsgallery.co.uk
Store: store@gutsgallery.co.uk
Press: press@gutsgallery.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44(0)7472 387943
This website uses cookies
This site uses cookies to help make it more useful to you. Find out more about cookies.
STAY IN THE LOOP & JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
* denotes required fields
We will process the personal data you have supplied to communicate with you in accordance with our Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time by clicking the link in our emails.