From the 1950s, Rustin developed a lyrical-abstract style, characterized by bold colors, abstract planes, scratch marks, and drips on canvas and paper. He exhibited annually at Galerie La Roue in Paris (1959–1969).

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In 1971, a turning point occurred: the major retrospective at the ARC of the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris made a profound impression on Rustin. He suddenly felt his work was “too beautiful” and “too pleasant,” which led him to make a radical shift toward figurative painting.

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From 1971/72, Rustin worked intensively in his studio in Bagnolet. He began painting human figures in unsettling, almost clinical environments. Genitalia were prominently depicted, bodies were bare, contorted, or isolated — often in (nighttime) bathhouses or dormitories. These works caused a stir, for example during an exhibition in Créteil in 1982, where censorship footnotes were even added because of the shocking content.

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In the following decades, his figurative style evolved toward a raw realism: reflections on the human body, often disturbing and existentially charged, became the central theme of his oeuvre.

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Jean Rustin passed away in Paris during the night of December 23–24, 2013.