In October 2020, Ellie Pennick and Guts Gallery presented the debut solo show, and first of three exhibitions, of London-based artist Elsa Rouy, after they connected in an unexpected way.

Pennick says: “Elsa and I met unconventionally on the dating app Hinge. We matched and chatted but never went on a date. I looked her up on Instagram and saw her work, and it all started from there. We always joke and say we are each other’s best match. Romantically we would be terrible,” she laughs, “but, as a gallerist and artist our relationship is brilliant.”

Rouy creates art with a female gaze, exploring female sexual expression and the imperfect-self, from her own experiences and those of others. Her large-scale paintings often include hedonistic grotesque scenes of monstrous women with their sexual organs revealed, and bodily fluids to expose the unsavoury parts of being human that are considered taboo.

“What I love about working with Elsa is that I am never shocked, she keeps getting better and better and pushes her practice. She refuses to be comfortable or paint to please others,” says Pennick.

“My influences are mainly derived from my lived experiences,” says Rouy. “Not literally, but from a more emotional/mental standpoint. Mainly my relationship with myself, then my relationships with others, but sometimes observed relationships between others. A strong current influence is my positioning in society as a queer ‘woman’ and my awkwardness with situating myself within this. Using myself and my practice as a tool to extract and mock preconceived ideas of what it is and what it should be to be a woman, or more pointedly, me. I think it’s a theme that many people can find an affinity to and relate to my work.”

Pennick agrees: “Elsa is pure talent. Her voice is needed in the art world, creating a dialogue about queerness, identity, and human connection. She is unapologetically herself, and I 100% believe she is one of the most talented artists of her generation.”

Following a series of exhibitions throughout 2021, Rouy and Guts Gallery have already scheduled the artist’s third solo show, coming May 2022. In the meantime, be sure to follow her Instagram for updates on her plans for the year.