Coffee Beans 1974

Oleksandr Aksinin made this playful graphic work of ink and paper called 'Coffee Beans', but the date is unknown. Just look at these shapes! Bold black and white marks that remind me of Saul Steinberg's whimsical drawings. The ink is applied in a way that feels both precise and intuitive, like a dance between control and chance. The dense blacks contrast sharply with the raw white paper, creating a push-and-pull effect. Then there's a little pop of primary colours down in the left corner, which really catch the eye. The longer you look, the more you notice, like that tiny gathering of figures sitting at the top, calmly drinking coffee. For me, this feels connected to the tradition of artists like Paul Klee, who explored the relationship between abstraction and representation with a light touch. Aksinin invites us to slow down, question our assumptions, and embrace the joy of visual discovery.