Exlibris of Helena Bobsky and Valery T. 1976

This is Oleksandr Aksinin's Exlibris of Helena Bobsky and Valery T., made with etching on paper, and it’s got this intricate, almost obsessive mark-making thing going on. It feels like Aksinin was totally absorbed in the process, letting the lines and shapes build up into this bizarre, surreal image. I love how the texture is so palpable, you can almost feel the ink pressed into the paper. The way he uses the black ink, it's not just about outlining, but about creating depth and shadow. Take a look at the fan. The lines radiating out from the center, they're not perfect, they wobble a little, which gives it this handmade, human quality. It's like he's inviting us to see the work, not just as a finished piece, but as a record of his own movements, his own hesitations and discoveries. It reminds me a bit of Kiki Smith, actually, in the way she uses repetition and pattern to create these strange, unsettling images. And like her work, Aksinin's print is open to so many interpretations. There's no one right way to see it, and that's what makes it so compelling.