I think that the art gallery, Belial, is actually a front for the Devil/demonic entity at the heart of the story’s conflict. The name Belial is a reference to the Devil and the gallery only takes an interest in Jesse’s work once he does more satanic imagery. The conversation that Jesse has with Leonard (Tony Amendola) suggest that the latter thinks that suffering is necessary for good art. It’s a good hint that he knows that Ray is after Zooey and that he hopes Jesse’s anguish at losing his daughter will make him paint even more beautiful pictures. Leonard’s insistence on keeping Jesse there might be because he wanted to ensure that Ray had the time to abduct Zooey. I might be reading too much into it, but the hints feel a bit too intentional to ignore.
