Bénédicte Gelé (1975) is drawn equally to the animal and to the act of drawing itself.

The living form, with its curves and movement, reminds her of the nude studies of her school days. The body in its simplest form, as crude as the pencil stroke, the artist’s basic technique, grey or black, pure and powerful.

 

“I do not paint for the myth or legend of the animal, or for its strength, even though

I respect all of that. Above all, I paint the physical, the sensual, a wave of primal emotion that the body provokes. I could have chosen a man or a woman, but horses have a cruder, more animal quality to their posture than human beings who tend to intellectualise too much. Horses have a powerful, captivating presence, with their natural solidity.