'Not naked, but undressed' is Fred Michiels? third solo show at Eva Steynen Gallery. Those familiar with Michiels' work will know that his exhibitions are forever surprising, in both approach and form. This time around he is not only presenting a new series of paintings and works on paper, but also joyful new ceramics and transparent glass works that stand in the space and hang against or at odds with the wall? As always, Michiels also made a playful booklet for the occasion of his exhibition, assembling his 'surrealist' poems and pamphlets with a selection of recent works. Painter and poet Fred Michiels ( B 1966, lives and works in Sambreville) has fully dedicated himself to abstraction in all its propositions and forms. The artist continually creates new challenges for himself: he paints in order to create spaces of possibility. Visual information from a variety of sources, cultural references and abstract forms alike, intermingle in a cheerful way. His work is instinctive and unplanned; straightforward and free. The abstractions are never limiting, but rich in visual experiences. For almost 30 years and with a great sense of humour, Michiels has investigated the status of painting. In that endeavour, the early figurative aspects of his painting slowly disappeared, making way for form, colour, and painted matter. New since some years are his colorful ceramics and transparent glass objects.