Some artists discover their subject later in life. For Jane Sikorski, horses have been part of her story for as long as she can remember.
From childhood riding lessons and trail rides to gymkhanas, equestrian holidays, and years spent working professionally with horses, Jane's connection to them is much deeper than an appreciation for their beauty. She understands their personalities, their movement, their strength, and their quiet moments.
It is this lifelong relationship that makes Jane's photography so compelling.
At Atelier Modern, I am always drawn to artists who bring something deeply personal to their work—an experience, a passion, a way of seeing that cannot simply be learned. Jane's photographs have that quality. She isn't just photographing horses. She is capturing something she has spent a lifetime observing and understanding.
From the Riding Arena to Behind the Camera
Jane trained as an instructor with the British Horse Society and spent six years exercising the horses of the British Army's Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
That experience gave Jane an extraordinary understanding of horses and an appreciation for the discipline, athleticism, and trust involved in the relationship between horse and rider.
In more recent years, Jane's focus has been dressage, training at yards in London, Toronto, and New York and winning a few ribbons along the way.
But alongside her riding has always been another passion: photography. Combining the two has been a dream come true. And you can feel that connection in her images.
More Than a Photograph of a Horse
What I find particularly beautiful about Jane's work is that her photographs don't feel like conventional equestrian portraits. There is a sense of freedom and place within them.
Jane has traveled extensively in search of horses and landscapes, photographing the wild horses of the Camargue, the Maryland coastline, Costa Rica, the remote islands of Scotland, the Exmoor ponies of the Sussex Downs, and a sanctuary in southern Ontario dedicated to preserving the rare Kiger breed.
Each setting offers something completely different, but the horses remain at the heart of the story.
Sometimes they are powerful and majestic. Sometimes they are quiet and contemplative. Sometimes there is an unmistakable sense of wildness. Jane knows when to capture the movement—and when to wait for the stillness.
Perhaps what Jane understands particularly well is that a horse is never simply a beautiful subject. A horse belongs somewhere.
It belongs in a field at the edge of the sea, on a windswept landscape, among a herd, in the early morning light, or standing quietly beside another horse.
By photographing horses in these environments, Jane gives us more than an image of an animal. She gives us a sense of place and a glimpse into a world that feels both familiar and completely removed from our everyday lives.
There is something wonderfully cinematic about her photographs. You can almost imagine the story continuing beyond the frame.
A Photographer Who Understands Her Subject
Jane's years with horses give her a unique perspective behind the camera.
She understands their body language. She recognizes the subtle shifts in posture and expression. She knows that sometimes the most beautiful photograph isn't the one where a horse is standing perfectly still and looking toward the camera, but the fleeting moment just before or after.
That knowledge allows her to photograph horses naturally rather than forcing a moment. The result is photography that feels authentic. Her award-winning work captures not only the physical beauty of the horse but also its character and spirit.
From the Camargue to Scotland
Jane's travels have taken her to some remarkable places.
The wild horses of the Camargue. The coastline of Maryland. The landscapes of Costa Rica. The remote islands of Scotland. The Exmoor ponies of the Sussex Downs. A sanctuary in southern Ontario devoted to preserving the rare Kiger breed. These journeys are part of what makes her work so special.
There is a sense of adventure in the photographs, but also a sense of respect. Jane is documenting animals in their environments and, in many cases, allowing us to see breeds and landscapes that most of us may never encounter ourselves.
Her camera becomes a way of preserving a moment, a place, and a connection.
Why Jane Sikorski at Atelier Modern?
For me, Jane's work is about much more than horses. It is about freedom, movement, connection, and the beauty of the natural world.
You don't have to be an equestrian to respond to her photographs. You simply have to appreciate the extraordinary beauty of an animal moving through its world.
Her photographs bring a sense of quiet drama into a room. They can feel elegant and timeless while still carrying the energy of the animal itself.
And there is something particularly meaningful about knowing the story behind the photographer. Jane has spent her life around horses. She has ridden them, trained them, cared for them, traveled to find them, and ultimately found a way to combine that lifelong passion with her eye as a photographer.
That authenticity comes through.
Jane Sikorski doesn't simply photograph horses. She photographs a lifelong relationship with them—and invites us to see them through her eyes.
We are delighted to feature Jane's work at Atelier Modern and to bring a little of that wildness, beauty, and freedom into our community in Larchmont and beyond.
One Question for Jane
At Atelier Modern, we believe art is meant to be lived with. So we asked Jane one simple question: What do you hope someone feels when they live with your work?
"For me, art is about stories and connections.
One of my favorite pieces of art came from a holiday in Cape Cod. It’s a photograph of a little rowboat on calm water on a hazy, almost rainy day. There’s nothing particularly complicated about it, but as soon as I saw it, I was drawn to its simplicity and to the sense of familiarity I felt in it. I grew up in Scotland and spent the majority of summer holidays on an island off the west coast called Arran (a couple of my pieces in your exhibit were also captured there!). This photograph of the rowboat reminded me of so many days spent on Arran by the water, listening to the waves, watching boats bob gently in the distance, surrounded by that soft grey haze.
I remember standing in that gallery, looking at the image and feeling a real sense of serenity. I didn’t actually buy it straight away (I’m not much of an impulse purchaser), but I don’t think I made it more than ten steps out of the gallery before turning back. I knew the connection was too strong to ignore. That was 8 years ago and I still get that same feeling every time I look at it.
That’s what I hope my work can become for someone else: not simply a beautiful image on their wall, but something that stirs a feeling, brings back a memory, or takes them to a place that holds meaning for them. I love the idea that, once a photograph leaves my hands, it can take on a new story of its own, becoming connected to the memories, experiences and moments of the person who brings it into their home. In that way, it becomes more than a piece of art; it becomes a little piece of their story, too." —Jane Sikorski
View Jane's Art Here >