Gentle Decay

The works from the series Gentle Decay observe the female body through cyclical processes of change. The drawings emerge from within those bodily transitions, through a material the body itself offers up. ‘When I used a menstrual cup for the first time and looked at the blood, I knew: this was the medium. I dipped my brush into it and the images started pouring out of me.’ For Bartels, menstrual blood is not a provocation, but a form of knowledge. ‘It is information. It carries the story of the body: what it has held, endured, released and survived.’

With these works, Bartels creates a space for shared stories and embodied knowledge among women, and among all those who recognise themselves in the work. ‘I want other women to feel less alone in what their bodies go through,’ she says. For her, both the female body and the work are a portal – for life, for death, for grief and for return.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Eva Bartels is an artist and actor. She mainly uses materials that originate from nature and her rituals, such as the ceremonies in which she buries herself in the earth. From this, the clay – infused with her breath and warmth – became both material and witness of the paintings on the table linen of the 10 year anniversary diner of See All This on 6 December 2025.

Bartels is currently working on her research project Mothers of Art, a series at the intersection of visual art, theatre and performance, focusing on ten female artists throughout history, including Leonora Carrington, Irma Stern and Ana Mendieta. Through this series, Bartels responds to their artistic legacy through her own body and visual language – an act of homage, research and personal transformation.

With Gentle Decay – Blood drawings for a Rite of Renewal Eva creates awareness around life cycles and eco systems within the female body as a source of hope and inspiration.

She captures scenes of loss such as her miscarriage but also scenes of pleasure and moments of silent grief. You will see women in her drawings making connection to their natural state of being and just observing themselves and the process of their bodies.