Exlibris of Nina Bichuya 1975

Oleksandr Aksinin made this black and white etching, titled "Exlibris of Nina Bichuya," a dedication to a book lover. I love the density of lines – the cross-hatching that builds up form and creates little pockets of dark and light. It makes me think about how Aksinin laid down each line, and how the network of lines accumulates into a vision, an entire world. I can imagine him, bent over the plate, scratching away, lost in thought. The composition is so strange, almost claustrophobic, with all these dreamlike details crammed into a tight space. A clock, a lightbulb, hourglasses. The figures at the top are so weird and haunting – what are they looking at? Aksinin was part of a vibrant printmaking scene. He shared an interest in surrealism with other artists. The etching feels timeless, like it could have been made centuries ago, or yesterday. It reminds us that artists are always building on what came before, creating something new out of old ideas.