“Belly of the Fish” – Valentina Bartolini Solo Exhibition

Belly of the Fish is Valentina Bartolini’s solo exhibition exploring interiority, metamorphosis, and biomorphic forms through subtle surreal imagery and handcrafted works on paper.

The solo exhibition Belly of the Fish by Valentina Bartolini conceives the belly as an enclosed, transformative space. Bartolini draws inspiration from proto-surrealist practices that shift attention from the external world to the unconscious, allowing forms to emerge through intuition, introspection, and attentiveness. The title evokes biblical imagery of interiority and transformation, such as the belly of the whale in the story of Jonah.

These subtly surreal images allude to the sea, to dreams, and to the womb as spaces of continuous transformation. Mirrors, mountains, and hybrid creatures reminiscent of plants, fish, cats, and butterflies recur and evolve into organic, interspecies forms. Through this biomorphic language, bodies become fluid and unstable, suspended between animal and landscape, mapping processes of growth and metamorphosis.

Building upon the dreamlike, memory-laden landscapes of the Sky Ladder series, Bartolini advances toward a language of greater detail and symbolic density. The demanding process, shaped by the fragility of paper, reflects the transformative power of her works: a pantheon of forms that appears simultaneously grounded and elevated, as if observed from a silent, transcendent vantage point. This sensation runs throughout the exhibition, reinforcing the relationship between interiority, intuition, and the responsiveness of the material.

Central to this exploration is the use of Lamali Natural Paper-a handmade paper produced in Nepal from Kozo bamboo and Lokta fibers, traditionally used in calligraphy. This materiality enhances the sense of interiority and suspension: the drawings do not treat the paper as a mere support but seem to emerge from within it.

Working with colored pencils on handmade Nepalese paper, Bartolini constructs entire forms from small, carefully placed dots. These coalesce into shifting inner landscapes where enigmatic creatures, crystalline fragments, and spaces of magical transformation emerge as if “rising” from the surface, blurring the boundaries between the familiar and the mythical.

Bartolini’s work constitutes a careful synthesis of inner reflection, material sensitivity, and imaginative depth. Through this convergence, her drawings leave a lasting sense of wonder, inviting reflection on the delicate boundary between the visible and the imagined, the bodily and the transcendent.