Full Circle: James Way
A Tribute to His Life and Work
29 October to 16 December 2026
Ruiterkamer, Living Horse Museum, Amsterdam
Full Circle brought the work of American artist James Way (1968–2014) to the Living Horse Museum during the fourth Dutch Equine Art Fair. It was the first exhibition dedicated to his work since his death in 2014.
Way began his career as an illustrator before turning to oil painting. In his paintings, horses inhabit worlds that move between reality and imagination. Unexpected combinations of figures, objects and settings give his work a distinctive character, inviting viewers to look beyond the familiar image of the horse. For several artists participating in the fair, his paintings had been a source of inspiration for years. This connection gave the exhibition its title: Full Circle returned his work to a community of equine artists, placing it within the contemporary conversation it had helped to shape. Bringing the exhibition together Curated by Joyce Ter Horst in collaboration with Lion Way and the Living Horse Museum, the exhibition took shape in the Ruiterkamer. A selection of reproductions, biographical texts and material from the family archive introduced visitors to Way’s imagery, life and artistic development.
The curatorial work involved selecting the paintings and developing the sequence and presentation within the room. The aim was to give visitors space to encounter the images while providing enough context to begin understanding the artist behind them. Lion Way contributed his perspective as the artist’s son and was present during the fair. His involvement connected the presentation with the family’s memories and brought a personal dimension to visitors’ encounters with the work.
Within a fair devoted to contemporary equine art, Full Circle created a moment to reflect on artistic influence: how paintings remain with people, how artists discover one another, and how those connections continue beyond an artist’s lifetime.
Project details
Artist: James Way (1968–2014)
Curator: Joyce Ter Horst
In collaboration with: Lion Way and the Living Horse Museum
Venue: Ruiterkamer, Living Horse Museum, Amsterdam
Presented as part of: Dutch Equine Art Fair 2026
Dates: 29 October to 16 December 2026
All displayed paintings were reproductions.
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