Exlibris of Olena Burdash 1976

Oleksandr Aksinin made this bookplate for Olena Burdash using etching. Aksinin lived and worked in Lviv, Ukraine, during the Soviet era; his art often explores themes of identity, existence, and spiritual seeking, reflecting the intellectual underground of the time. This exlibris bears the inscription "Ex Libris Olena Burdash," marking it as belonging to Olena. The imagery hints at the complexities of identity and knowledge. We see the combination of geometric patterns, faces, and symbols. These might evoke dreamlike states, or a sense of being lost in thought. The text surrounding the image, in both Russian and Ukrainian, brings to mind questions of liberation and destiny. Aksinin’s work, though deeply personal, resonates with broader societal questions of freedom and self-expression within a restrictive political environment. Through his art, Aksinin invites us to reflect on the depths of human experience and the search for meaning in a complex world.