Text by Sophia Lascaris

An introspective study on the intricate interplay between nature, agony, and catharsis, Sometimes I Hear My Inner Self So Loudly is the fourth solo show by Greek, Thessaloniki-based painter Egkrateia Roumpou. Building upon themes from her previous work, Roumpou artfully expresses the profoundly discomforting human experience through her own artistic and psychological journey, prompting viewers to immerse themselves in their own internal realms. Inspired by the symbolic literature of Dante, the non-linear works of Samuel Beckett, and the violent writings of Sarah Kane, the exhibition masterfully weaves these themes into its expressive subject matter.

The exhibition's title is vividly expressed through a polyphony of paint, charcoal, pigments, collage, and actions on the canvas. Roumpou translates this inner noise and turmoil into wildly gestural compositions that unfold in space like the internal monologue of a mind in motion. The exhibition commences with a single painting, portraying a seemingly serene forestscape, and proceeds to lead us into the artist's world, her thought process, and finally exposes the intensity and vulnerability of the inner experience in human consciousness.

By mixing media and formal styles, and combining them with experimental texts, the artist achieves a chaotic aesthetic that resonates with the intricacies of the enigmatic self. Her abstract canvases explore eternal human yearning for happiness, our fear of the unknown, and our desire to transcend the ordinary. This is accomplished through the highly expressive and violently automatic gestures of painting and writing. The act of painting itself becomes a courageous and transformative process, stripping away the cosmetic façade to reveal the purified core of human existence. Roumpou's work is not an escape from the world but a direct confrontation with it. It encapsulates the human condition — a profound sense of confusion and loss intertwined with moments of self- awareness and self-acceptance. Her paintings guide us through a psychological labyrinth where courage and confession converge to create a sanctuary, a refuge from the abyss.