Mihail Chemiakin Lithograph – Ventre de Paris Series

Mihail Chemiakin Lithograph – Ventre de Paris Series, E.A. Edition

In this compelling lithograph from Mihail Chemiakin’s Ventre de Paris series, the artist transforms the figure of a market laborer into a surreal hybrid—half human, half carcass. The body of the worker appears fused with a butchered side of beef, spine-like ridges echoing both vertebrae and industrial rail. The posture, twisted yet dignified, evokes themes of transformation, toil, and the erasure of the individual within systems of production and consumption.

This piece is printed in rich, muted tones with careful textural detailing and is hand-signed in pencil by the artist in the lower right. Designated E.A. (épreuve d'artiste), it is an artist's proof from a limited run, emphasizing its rarity. The surreal fusion of body and object underscores Chemiakin’s lifelong exploration of metamorphosis and ritual within the human condition.

From his Stomach of France series, inspired by Zola’s Le Ventre de Paris, Chemiakin conjures the invisible workers of Les Halles—the central market of Paris—through haunting theatrical imagery.