Within an oeuvre encompassing painting, video, sculpture, and performance, Lizzy Pauwels (1979) focuses on the immutability of stones and their resistance to decay. While humans often attempt to appropriate this permanence by transforming stone into buildings, jewelry, sculptures, and graves, she observes stones in their natural complexity, as carriers of information from the past and of a continuity that exceeds human existence.

A pictorial hesitation recurs throughout her work: her images feel vulnerable and unfinished. Persistent drips of paint on canvas and scraped textures that resemble flaking skin convey a deliberate release of rigid control. She does not regard stone as something to be conquered, but as a vehicle through which to reflect on ecological questions, rituals, and cultural artefacts. For her, there are as many stones as there are stories, and it is precisely these stories that captivate her.

Photo © Wim Van Edom