Ex nihilo, 2021

Charles Belle  

Here is a longer version, in the third person, with a tone adapted to the contemporary art sector:

In this small painting from the “e" series, Charles Belle continues his exploration of the emergence of forms and the birth of light. The work evokes the possibility of a rose, or rather the fleeting imprint of a floral motif, without ever being confined to it. It resides in that in-between space characteristic of the artist's work, where figuration dissolves to give way to a more essential presence.

What dominates here is the light of the yellows: a subtle radiance that seems to emerge from within the very substance of the paint. The layers overlap, rub against each other, and respond to one another, creating a vibrant depth that transcends the small scale of the format. Belle deploys her usual language—precision of gesture, chromatic intensity, an almost organic attention to the surface—while simultaneously imbuing this work with an intimate, almost meditative quality.

This painting thus presents itself as an autonomous fragment, a condensed space where one of the central issues of Charles Belle's practice is played out: to bring forth, from the silence of color, a form that is as much about nature as it is about memory or sensation.