Ruta Jusionyte (LT)
Born 1978
“A work of art does not display a pre-established truth, it embodies a lived truth.”
– André Maurois
From the outset, what surprised us in Ruta Jusionyte’s studio was the particular tone that emerged from her works. As a whole, we cannot find their colors anywhere else. They instinctively match the broad and sensual strokes that give life to the artist’s paintings. Her palette seems inspired by all the shades of amber where browns, yellows, and reds merge, “yellows and greens sonnets” purples clash, spots echo with each other and her blues evoke the winter sky above the Baltic Sea. It all feels like a deep breath. The artist was born in Klaipeda, Lithuania, on the shores of the northern sea where what we call “Baltic gold” is none other than this evocative amber.
The animal form is pervasive in her works, and it is so naturally associated with that of humans, that we no longer really know who is who. “Animals are people like anyone else,” quoted by the great painter of animals Gilles Aillaud in an interview. But Ruta Jusionyte's animals are not realistic like those of the French artist. Lying down, sitting, on all fours, they nevertheless display their innocent and enigmatic morphology with ease and flexibility. In Metamorphoses of the Soul and its Symbols, C.G. Jung writes: “A treasure is hidden in the shadow of the unconscious, the treasure difficult to reach.”
Therefore, the rabbit, the bear, the horse, the elephant, the dog, and the turtle all share one secret meaning, and the expression of the animals painted by Ruta Jusionyte is always the same, questioning and alert.
Sometimes the artist reinvents the animal by giving it a dinosaur head, or a tadpole one or another shape she has just thought of. She gives them little pointed ears like those of chimeras in Gothic cathedrals. She ingenuously animates them, makes room for them, praises them, or examines their analogies with her impulses.
She sometimes humanizes the animal by giving it a standing position, a mischievous look, and loving intentions: “An ode to life”. She often ponders the Jungian question of the anima (the feminine evidence of the man's unconscious) and the animus (the masculine evidence of the woman's unconscious). Afterward, she draws up a poetics that brings men and animals together so that they can access a higher spiritual identity: “Consciously or not, I create characters who emerge from the depths of myself. And I wonder if my painting is a painting in search of a universal man."
In her more recent paintings, the topography has changed. No more family meals and playing chess in enclosed spaces. No more arguments and spilled drinks. A few branches where passion fruits sometimes grow indicate an open world, where the four elements of the Universe remain. We are witnessing the emergence of a world of fluids, of black holes where abstract stars explode, all in a cosmic way. It is in this expansive space that her characters meet, evolve, or fall asleep while floating as they deploy their symbolic significance: the wolf, like a long totemic vessel, advances in space, carrying a sleeping girl at his side.
In these recent paintings, we could say that, by spending so much time with each other, it is humans who prefer to imitate animals.
This time, however, humans seem to have lost their taste for speech. There, human language, this marvelous tool that precisely marks the superiority of man over the rest of creation, seems to have lost its meaning. Humans no longer need it, neither to command, nor to trick, nor to communicate. Humans and animals live in harmony. Sometimes they seem amazed, sometimes they wonder, and other times they play.
– Ileana Cornea, march, 2024
Vis CV
Education
Graduate of the Institute of Fine Arts, Vilnius, Lithuania
Public collections
Musée d’art contemporain MO, Lithuania
Musée d’art de Ciurlionis, Lithuania
Musée d’Art Moderne MMA, Lithuania
Musée des Anges et Fondation Lewben, Lithuania
Collection de la ville du Mans, France
Collection de la ville de Pithiviers, France
Solo shows
2024
Gallery Menu Tiltas, Vilnius, Lituanie
Crid’art Gallery, Metz, France
Christel Wagner, My animal Totem, Frankfort, Allemagne
Alquimias de amor (avec Francisco Sepulveda), Couto Art Foundation, Maputo, Mozambique
Rasmus Gallery, Herning Art fair, Danemark
2023
Alchimie d’amour, peintures, sculptures, dessins, Salon Vert Gallery, Carouges, Suisse
Peintures, Gallery Rasmus, Bogense, Danemark
2022
Peintures, sculptures, Galerie Menu Tiltas, Vilnius, Lituanie
Peintures, sculptures, Vilnius Art Fair, avec la galerie Menu Tiltas, Vilnius, Lituanie
Peintures, sculptures, Galerie Univers, Lausanne, Suisse
2021
Peintures, sculptures, Galerie Claudine Legrand, Paris, France
Ici, sculptures, peintures, gravures, Galerie Arielle d’Hauterives, Bruxelles, Belgium
Sculptures, Galerie Louise, Durbuy, Belgium
2020
Peintures, sculptures, Vilnius Art Fair, avec la galerie Menu Tiltas, Vilnius, Lithuania
Sculptures, Galerie Olivier Rousseau, Tours, France
Sculptures, Musée d’art de Zemaiciu, Plunge, Lithuania
2019
Peintures, sculptures, Galerie Menu Tiltas, Vilnius, Lithuania
Sculptures, Galerie Picot-Le-Roy, Morgat, France
Peintures, sculptures,Galerie Christel Wagner, Francfort sur le Main, Allemagne
Peintures, sculptures, Invitée d’honneur par « Artistes de Normandie », Caen et Bayeux, France
Sculptures, dessins, Galerie Danielle Bourdette Gorzkowski, Honfleur, France
Sculptures, dessins, Galerie du Jansanet, Troyes, France
2018
Galerie Schwab Beaubourg, Paris, France
Peintures, sculptures, Galerie Univers, Lausanne, Suisse
Galerie Crid’art, Metz, France
Galerie Espace 83, La Rochelle, France
2017
Galerie Claudine Legrand, Paris, France
Galerie Wagner, Francfort, Allemagne
Galerie Kellermann, Düsseldorf, Allemagne
Peintures, sculptures, Vilnius Art Fair, avec la galerie Menu Tiltas, Vilnius, Lithuania
2016
Galerie Danielle Bourdette Gorzkowski, Honfleur, France
Galerie Picot-Le Roy, Morgat, France
Peintures Scuptures, Vilnius Art Fair, Lithuania
Sculptures, Galerie Saint Rémy, Liège, Belgium
Sculptures, Lille Art UP, Galerie Claudine Legrand, Paris
Karlsruhe Art Fair, Galerie Wagner, Francfort sur le Main, Allemagne
2015
Sculptures, Galerie Claudine Legrand, Paris, France
Peintures, sculptures, Galerie Crid'Art , Metz, France
Peintures, sculptures, dessins, Galerie 22 Art Contemporain, Cabrières d'Avignon, France
Peintures, sculptures, Galerie Menu Tiltas, Vilnius, Lithuania
2014
Peintures, Centre d'Art Deforges, Nancy, France
Peintures, dessins, Galerie Aidas, Vilnius, Lithuania
Sculptures, dessins, Galerie Claudine Legrand, Paris
Sculptures, Galerie Saint Remy, Liège, Belgium
Peintures, sculptures, dessins, Galerie De L’Univers, Lausanne, Suisse
Sculptures, dessins, Galerie Danielle Bourdette Gorzkowski, Honfleur, France
Dessins, Galerie Daniel Duchoze, Rouen, France
2013
Sculptures, dessins, Galerie de L’Univers, Lausanne, Suisse
Sculptures, Galerie Picot-Le-Roy, Morgat, France
Sculptures, Galerie Schwab Beaubourg, Paris, France
Sculptures, dessins, Galerie Claudine Legrand, Paris, France
Sculptures, Galerie Saint Remy, Liège, Belgium
Sculptures, dessins, Galerie Daniel Duchoze, Rouen, France
2012
Sculptures, dessins, Espace Arts Visuels Trace, Suisse
Sculptures, dessins, Galerie Danielle Bourdette, Honfleur, France
Sculptures, dessins, Galerie Art Espace 83, la Rochelle, France
2011
Sculptures, dessins, Galerie Au-delà Des Apparences, Annecy, France
Sculptures, dessins, Galerie Alain Rouzé, Nantes, France
2010
Sculptures, dessins, Galerie Daniel Duchoze, Rouen, France
Sculptures, dessins, « A travers moi, l’homme, vers le monde », Galerie Pierre Marie Vitoux, Paris, France
2009
Sculptures, Galerie Ardital, Aix-en-Provence, France
Sculptures, Galerie Crid’art, Metz, France
Sculptures, Galerie En Aparté, Limoges, France
2008
Sculptures, dessins, Galerie du Cardo, Reims, France
Sculptures, dessins, Galerie Au-delà des Apparences, Annecy, France
Sculptures, dessins, Galerie Pierre Marie Vitoux, Paris, France
2007
Sculptures, dessins, Galerie Pierre Marie Vitoux, Paris, France
Sculptures, Galerie Picot-Le-Roy, Morgat, France
2006
Sculptures, Galerie de l’Arc de Triomphe, Saintes, France
Sculptures, Galerie Art 4, Caen, France
2004
Sculptures, Galerie Françoise Souchaud, Lyon, France
Group shows
2024
Galleri V58, Aarhus, Denmark
2022
Musee Zemaiciu, Plunge, Lithuania
2021
Les artistes français, (sculpture monumentale), Musée d’art Ciurlionis, Kaunas, Lithuania
2020
Galerie Wagner, Francfort sur le Main, Allemagne
Musée de la Briqueterie, Mairie de Langueux, France
2019
Animal - Human - Robot, Musée d’art moderne MO, Vilnius, Lithuania
XXVIth International Nude Art Exhibition, Pärnu, Estonia
L’homme, la femme et la liberté, Musée d’Art Samogitian (Žemaitija), Plunge, Lithuania
2018
Festival des Correspondances, Braine, France
2017
« L’expressionisme contemporain et ses marges », Musée d’art Ciurlionis, Kaunas, Lithuania
2013
Galerie La Louve, Louftemont, Belgium
Galerie Daniel Duchoze, Rouen, France
Galerie Claudine Legrand, Paris, France
Galerie Danielle Bourdette Gorzkowski, Honfleur, France
2012
Galerie du Cardo hors les murs, château Faucon, Doncherie, France
Espace contemporain, Chapelle Sainte Anne, Tours, France
2010
« Dessins à Dessein », Galerie du Cardo, Reims, France
2009
« Don, Contre-Don », Galerie En Aparté, Limoges, France
« Au Féminin Pluriel », Galerie Pierre Marie Vitoux, Paris, France
2004
Galerie Françoise Souchaud, Lyon, France
Art fairs
2020
Vilnius Art Fair, Vilnius, Lithuania
2019
Vilnius Art Fair, Vilnius, Lithuania
2018
Vilnius Art Fair, Vilnius, Lithuania
2017
Vilnius Art Fair, Vilnius, Lithuania
2016
Galerie Christel Wagner, Francfort sur le Main, Allemagne
Lille Art Up, avec la Galerie, Claudine Legrand, Lille, France
Vilnius Art Fair, Vilnius, Lithuania
2015
Off course, Galerie Arielle Hauterives, Bruxelles, Belgium
Vilnius Art Fair, Vilnius, Lithuania
2014
Vilnius Art Fair, Vilnius, Lithuania
2012
Lille Art Fair, Galerie du Cardo, Reims, France
2010
Affordable Art Fair, Bruxelles, Belgium
Art on Paper, Brussels Drawing Fair, Belgium
2008
ST’ART, avec la Galerie Crid’art, Metz, France
2007
Foire d'art Arténim avec la Galerie Crid'Art Grenoble, France
Prize
Prize for figurative sculpture George Coulon, 2016, Académie des Beaux-Arts
Books and catalogs
2018
Ruta Jusionyte, Sculpture, peinture, dessin
2015
Ruta Jusionyte, Sculpture, peinture, dessin
"L’Hymne à l’Hymen" Livre Photogravure, poète Guy Denis , dessins Ruta Jusionyte
2013
"Terre d’Enfants", poésies, Blandine Scelles, peintures Ruta Jusionyte, tirage à 150 exemplaires
2010
Ruta Jusionyte, tirage à 1000 ex.
Articles
Miroir de L'Art n° 20 " Résistances" par Ludovic Duhamel
Miroir de L'Art n° 25 DESSIN "Le dessin comme un cri" par Ludovic Duhamel
La Revue de la Céramique et du Verre N° 178 "L'énigme humaine" par Nicole Crestou
Agora Des Arts « Portrait d’artiste « Catherine Rigollet février 2013
