Ruta Jusionyte – The boy and the Little Horse

The boy and the little horse – Ruta Jusionyte

Seated with arms wrapped around a small brown horse, the figure seems suspended within a silent moment. The gesture is simple, almost maternal, yet it carries the full emotional weight of the work.

In Ruta Jusionyte’s universe, animals are never secondary elements. They are alter egos, companions, and sensitive reflections of human emotions. Here, the horse does not appear as a heroic mount but as a vulnerable and affectionate presence.The expressive tension of the body, the slightly forward shoulders, the protective hands, and the distant gaze all suggest a profound inner life. The young figure seems to protect the animal while also finding comfort in it.

The work explores themes central to the artist’s practice: tenderness, shared fragility, and the possibility of a silent dialogue between species.

Over the years, Ruta Jusionyte has developed an immediately recognisable body of work at the crossroads of Neo-Expressionism, Symbolist Romanticism, and Magical Realism. Born in Lithuania in 1978, she now lives and works in France and has established herself as a significant figure on the contemporary European art scene, blending expressionist intensity with symbolic romanticism.

Her work explores the relationships between humans and animals. Her hybrid sculptures reveal a fascination with fragility and strength, innocence and bestiality, always infused with a discreet touch of irony.

Winner of the Académie des Beaux-Arts Prize in 2019, Ruta Jusionyte is now highly sought after by collectors drawn to deeply embodied painting and sculpture, where emotion and visual intensity meet.