Exlibris of I.Kamysheva 1985

Oleksandr Aksinin made this print, ‘Exlibris of I. Kamysheva,’ using etching to create a dreamlike scene. The fine lines are so delicate and the details are just amazing. Aksinin layers textures and patterns, like the cross-hatching on the figures surrounding the central image. See the way the shading varies from light to dark, creating depth and volume? It’s like he’s building up the image dot by dot, line by line. There are tiny birds floating in the space surrounding two figures perched on a table. These motifs might appear random, but they give the image a sense of playful mystery. The way Aksinin combines different elements – the organic and the geometric – reminds me of the surrealist Joan Miró. Both artists create worlds where anything is possible, where our expectations are turned upside down, and where imagination reigns supreme.