Exlibris of Zenovy Kushnir 1978

Oleksandr Aksinin made this bookplate, titled Exlibris of Zenovy Kushnir, using etching, a process that can build up intense detail through layering. The lines in this piece are so fine and abundant, they appear almost like a woven texture. I find myself drawn to the tabletop, laid out with stripes and these simple, dark circles sitting on top. The perspective is tilted, flattened, reminiscent of early Synthetic Cubism, and I wonder if Aksinin was looking at Picasso or Braque. The objects are delineated, but the marks are also gestural, like restless energy fixed on the plate. There’s something unnerving about the eye, the cages, and the atmosphere of quiet expectation. Aksinin's surrealist style reminds me of Leonora Carrington's alchemical imagery. Both artists tap into a deeply personal symbolism, creating work that feels both familiar and otherworldly. Ultimately, Aksinin invites us into his own visual language, one that hums with mystery.