Genèse de François Béalu

François Béalu lived on an old farm in Tréduder, surrounded by wooded slopes, and enjoyed working on their upkeep.

It was hard work that contrasted with the meticulous precision required for engraving, but at the same time brought him even closer to the natural world around him.

He constantly paid homage to nature in his etchings, but in this exhibition, his etchings become an integral part of the tree trunks, embracing the branches or reconstituting a kind of protective bark that will heal the wounds of these branches.

?? These wood engravings, in the literal sense (the engraved print is meticulously marouflaged onto the wood, covering every inch of it), could also be described as "dressed wood", and since 2005 have been part of a period of reuse of discarded prints.

These works were "intimate" for François Béalu, before being "discovered" by his son Julien and carefully stored in his studio.