Exlibris of Yura Darmorys 1976

Oleksandr Aksinin created this bookplate for Yura Darmorys using etching techniques, and it is rich with symbolic imagery. Note the hand reaching down, as if from above, toward a cage containing a small animal. The cage, reminiscent of a teardrop, has numbers and symbols. The motif of the caged animal is an age-old symbol of confinement. Think of the Minotaur in the labyrinth, trapped by his own monstrous nature. Yet, here, the animal is small and seemingly harmless, suggesting perhaps the confinement of creativity or the subconscious. Consider the hand: a gesture of intervention or control? We find echoes of this motif in religious art, where divine hands reach down, offering salvation or imposing judgment. This symbol is far from linear. It resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings in different historical contexts, engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level with intense emotional states.