Per Ignem is the first work in the Equus Refractus series.

Per Ignem is about passing through fire. For me, fire has always been more than just an element. It warms and it burns; it ignites and it tests. It carries passion, strength, glory, and the courage to keep moving forward, even when the path is difficult. To go through fire means to endure an ordeal that leaves its mark — and yet, it is precisely this mark that gives us a new form.

In this piece, I wanted to capture that sense of transformation. The horse moves diagonally toward the viewer, almost breaking out of the frame, and in this motion there is persistence, confidence, determination. In contrast to the previous works of the series, where the movement remained more parallel, here the figure thrusts forward, bringing with it a sense of unstoppable energy.

The composition is built on sharp angles and triangular structures, with colors in strong contrast: yellow and violet refracting through red and orange. This creates a tension, a vibration, an energy I felt intensely while working — as if the image itself was becoming more concentrated, more incandescent.

Of the first three works in the series, this is the most energetic one for me. It feels like a compressed force, where fire does not simply surround the figure but permeates it, reshaping it from within.