Ruta jusionyte

Who are these charismatic half-man, half-animal characters?

Who are these frail human figures with ageless faces?

In pairs or alone, the beings of Ruta Jusionyte seem to emerge from the throes of Greek mythology or a Norse fable. They all belong to the same tribe, escaped from the pages of a story that would have spanned time.

When Ruta Jusionyte undertakes the birth of a new sculptural piece, she always begins by kneading the material, without any preparatory sketch, and gives it the shape of feet. Then comes the modeling of the legs, hips, bust, arms, neck and finally the head, sometimes animal, sometimes human.

From bottom to top, from earth to sky, the artist gradually gives birth to a slender body with her hands, before concluding with the work of the eyes – the final touch to any creation. This gaze, always the same regardless of the rest, regardless of the gesture, is wide open to the world. He is neither dumbfounded nor petrified, but serenely contemplates an imaginary world, perhaps interior, as suggested by the depth of the irises hollowed out in a bowl. The closed mouth reinforces this idea, that of a word that does not externalize itself to let thought triumph. 

Anne-Laure Peressin Art critic