CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL

EX-LIBRIS ARTISTS

1
 HOMMAGE

La femme a une puissance singulière qui se compose de

la réalité de la force et de l'apparence de la faiblesse.

Victor Hugo

2
OS ARTISTAS THE ARTISTS LES ARTISTES

Tamara Balenko Theodora Chandrinou

U. S. A. Greece

Concha Ibáñez Olga Krupenkova

Spain Belarus

Aki Miyajima Marta Wartalska

Japan Poland

Elena Kiseleva Nurgül Arikan

Russia Turkey

Maurizia Marini Chen Xiaofeng

Italy China

Hilary Paynter Marina Kupkina

England Ukraine

H. Müjde Ayan Nele Zirnīte

Turkey Latvia

Marzanna Mucha Anastasia Zykina

Poland Russia

Bai Yiru Liubov Abramova

China Belarus

Marina Terauds Yolanda Carbajales

U. S. A. Spain

Hélène Nué Ayşen Erte

France Turkey

Stéphanie Bos Safiya Piskun

Belgium Belarus

3
AGRADECIMENTOS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS REMERCIEMENTS

Murray Rosen Aki Miyajima Chen Xiaofeng

Prof. William Butler Elena Kiseleva Marina Kupkina

James P. Keenan Maurizia Marini Nele Zirnīte

Andrew G. Peake Hilary Paynter Anastasia Zykina

Dott. Gian Carlo Torre H. Müjde Ayan Liubov Abramova

Arturo Zaera Marzanna Mucha Yolanda Carbajales

Jos van Waterschoot Bai Yiru Ayşen Erte

Docteur Jean-François Marina Terauds Safiya Piskun

Chassaing
Hélène Nué Dmitry Severjukhin
Mariano Casas Hierro
Stéphanie Bos Eva Rotcenkova, M. A.
Rajmund Aszkowski
Thedodora Chandrinou Svetlana Kupkina
Huang Xiangong
Olga Krupenkova Anna Tikhonova
Hua Shaoying
Marta Wartalska George Balos
Tamara Balenko
Nurgül Arikan Shonosuke Ezoe
Concha Ibáñez
Kiyohiro Inoue

4
 TAMARA BALENKO
The artist tells us about herself
Have you ever asked yourself: “How would
I live my life if I had a chance to start it
over” ? For me, 1998 became that chance.
Life became divided in two parts: before and
after the immigration.
My creative life is like a multifaceted crystal:
when I mentally rotate it, I can see myself
through its prisms... Each of its prisms is
unique, but together they form the whole
crystal. I bow before the Ex Libris: it taught
me to think symbolically, to speak with the
language of metaphor. Ex Libris became a
great companion of my creative life: many
ideas, born as ex libris, were developed
further into paintings and graphics. As
a book illustrator, I get inspired by the
author’s ideas. I re-interpret them, creating
my own version of the ideas, rather than
a literal copy. What interests me the most
in book illustration is a variety of literary
genres and historical research: I illustrated
Soviet poetry of Konstantin Simonov,
classical French and Ukrainian literature
of the 19th century, contemporary science-
fiction, a fascinating chemical textbook, and
the Brother’s Grimm Fairytales. Painting
inspires me with its colors, musical harmony
5
6
 Tamara Balenko
of tones, minor tenderness and aerial quality
of watercolor. Graphic fascinates me with
its clarity and the poetic minimalism of
lines and tone. Sometimes I want to create
a purely realistic artwork, to give praise to
the Creator of all this beauty, but I’m more
attracted to a language of metaphor, symbol
and allegory. At times I feel that my artistic
portfolio resembles a kaleidoscope of many
chromatic shining fragments, but with a
slight turn, the kaleidoscope presents a
unified scene. The Creator endowed this life
with boundless variability, and then created
the artist, to whom he gave the ability to
capture the beauty, form, and structure of
the world around them.
On a hot August day of 1998, I came to Los
Angeles with my husband, best friend, and
artist Vladimir Vasilyev, 4-year old son and
20 year old daughter. We brought packages
of artworks and boxes with books. “You
are crazy”, one of our relatives said. “You
must forget the past”. So, there came the
first few difficult years, without a language,
money, or an occupation in demand. In
a year, I came to a community college to
pursue a graphic design certificate. I also
started art classes for kids and adults.
First, I held the classes in my two-bedroom
apartment, and then I bought a small house
which we converted into a studio. In a few
years, the studio “Golden Key Art” became
7
a regular participant of the art festivals in
West-Hollywood. Around the same time,
I became a participant of many solo and
group art exhibitions in Los Angeles (Pacific
Design Center, Ukrainian Cultural Center),
Santa Barbara (Svitozor Gallery), New York
and Boston.
However, it all began 56 years ago in
Ukraine, where I was born in a small town
near Kiev. My life passed through multiple
stages of the Communist era. My childhood
is associated with the 60s, the dissolution
of Stalin’s regime (both my grandfathers
became the victims of Stalin’s repressions),
the after-war period of optimistic songs,
belief in good times to come, and no bread
in the stores. I was born the daughter of an
aircraft engineer and a an actress. My father
was an incredibly smart and strong person
(his coworkers called him “Iron Kirill”); he
went through the Second World War from
the first to the last day. From him, I inherited
my goal-oriented, strong, hardworking
character. My mother, a descendent of an
ancient aristocratic family line, possessed
an inherent sense of nobility. She is also
a talented actress and a very positive
optimistic person, who has an profound
sense of beauty. So I spent my childhood in
a creative environment. When asked “What
would you like to do when you grow up”?
I always answered “I want to be an artist”.
When I turned 15, my family moved to
Cheliabinsk, Ural. My father, who saw my
inclination to drawing, took me to a local art
school. We were disappointed to find out
that the enrollment was already closed for
that year. The teacher, who saw me upset,
decided to take a look at my portfolio. As
he was going from page to page, his glance
hovered over the life drawing of my father’s
old boots. He was examining it closely, then
closed off the portfolio and said: “Come to
class tomorrow”. For almost a year, I had
been studying under the guidance of this
wonderful person who believed in me.
8
In 1972, I decided to apply to M. B. Grekov
State Art College in Odessa, a prestigious,
highly competitive art school. Unfortunately,
I had less than a year of professional training.
Moreover, the enrolment priority was given
to the social classes of workers and farmers.
I belonged to a narrow category of cultural
elite, which made my acceptance even more
unlikely. So, I didn’t get accepted that year.
However, I was allowed attend classes,
which was already a step forward. To get
noticed, I had to work much harder than the
official students. It was my only chance to
get through the entrance exams next year.
It was the early 70s. We were instructed
in a Soviet realism tradition. Honestly,
I don’t regret it: they gave us a strong
academic foundation. Beyond the walls
of the official classrooms, we discovered
such artists as Dali, Kandinsky, Picasso. It
was quite a challenge to keep up with the
creative assignments, as their topics were
limited to farmers, workers and sports. I
wasn’t inspired by the industrial world
of smoke stacks and machinery, just as I
was indifferent to the poetry of the great
Soviet poet Vladimir Mayakovsky. On the
contrary, the romantic poetry of the 19th
century and allegorical subjects of ancient
myths inspired me, evoking new ideas.
So I graduated completely exhausted by
self-doubts and a continuous fight with
my instructors, with the grade C for my
art composition classes. Having received
a college degree as an art teacher, I was
unwilling to pursue any additional studies.
Life is forever changing. In a few months,
my daughter was born. Shortly after that,
I got accepted to Ukrainian Academy
of Printing, Department of Book Design
and Illustration, passing with an A in
composition. My dream to become a graphic
artist finally came true. My work got noticed
by Alexander Miklovda, a famous Ukrainian
graphic artist. Thanks to him, my artistic
portfolio includes elegant engravings.
He was the one who encouraged me, an
undergraduate student, to submit my work
to the International Competition of Ex
Libris. I remember crying tears of joy, as
I received the catalog featuring my work
from the very same exhibition. It was the
happiest of times, yet also the most trying
of times. I had an exciting life within a circle
of creative, educated people. At the same
time, I had to struggle to support the family.
However, I was interested in any type of
creative work, ranging from packaging to
stain glass designs. For my Master Thesis,
I did a series of illustrations to the book of
the great Russian poet Konstantin Simonov,
a military journalist. I dedicated the work to
my father.
In 1983, having graduated with honors as a
book designer and illustrator, I was facing
an uncertain future. In order to achieve a
status of a professional artist, one had to
participate in the art shows. Soviet system
only allowed state-sponsored art shows.
To gain acceptance into the shows, one
needed to know the submission deadlines.
9
This information was only available to the
members of the National Union of Artists
and their relatives. To become a member of
the National Union of Artists, one needed
to participate in a certain number of the art
shows. Thus, it became a closed loop.
The years passed, filled with endless
attempts to get accepted to the State Art
Shows. The feeling of disappointment,
the loss of confidence and a sense of
disbelief was growing as I kept finding my
artworks declined without any explanation.
At the same time, all submissions to
the international shows were successful:
my graphic artworks and ex libris were
distinguished with top-level awards.
Soon thereafter, I discovered the joy of
teaching. As I shared my creative insight
with my students, the more ideas I found
springing out of my mind. Like water from
the well, the more you drew, the cleaner and
more refreshing it became.
Metaphorically speaking, it came to be
that the river of my life ran along several
branches and tributaries at once. My
graphics and ex libris work experienced
great success abroad. I also had a successful
career as a book illustrator: my clientele
included the largest publishing houses in
Ukraine, such as Radiansky Pismennik,
Mistetstvo, Dovira, KM Academia, and
others. My paintings and graphic artwork
were eventually accepted to the domestic art
shows. In 1994 I was admitted as a member
of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine. I
also worked on the methodological research
articles concerning the teaching curriculum
in the art schools. At that moment, my life
took a new turn.
In the early 1990s, the Soviet Union
collapsed. During the major economic crisis,
publishing houses went out of business.
Inflation. Money turned into dust. I was
hoping to buy a small apartment off of the
10
proceeds from my commissions, but the
money was only sufficient to purchase a
carpet. Salary was not paid on a regular
basis. When it was paid, however, it came in
millions of so-called coupons that were of no
use for anything.
During this difficult time, God granted me
the second child. There were four generations
sharing a small apartment: my husband and
I, my parents, my 16-year old daughter and
a baby, which made the creative side of our
life somewhat challenging. At that time,
we received an opportunity to move to the
United States. However, I never dreamed of
leaving my country.
To solve the immediate issue, my husband
and I decided to rent a small apartment. One
day, I found my baby son playing with a gun
and a grenade which he found among the
belongings of the owner of the apartment.
At that moment, I made a decision to move
to the United States. I realized that I would
have to start my life over, and I may never
achieve the same career level.
One doesn’t become an artist, one is born
an artist. Being an artist is not a job, but a
condition of a soul. It doesn’t depend on age,
language and country one lives in. On two
different continents, my two lives met with
very similar fate.
Tamara Balenko
PHILOSOPHICAL STATEMENT
By Tamara Balenko
My works are my thoughts on the eternal
concepts of good and evil, love and hate,
loyalty and betrayal. I’m interested in deci-
phering messages from the past that have
reached us in the form of myths, habits, and
biblical preaches. Within them is poetically
encrypted wisdom polished by millennia.

Each person can find within them answers

to their questions. While I work in several
types of art, I’m drawn to the simplicity and
uncompromising nature of graphics and
their employment of black and white. The
idea of graphical works should be symbolic
and filled with concentrated thoughts. Many
of my ideas I formulate within ex libris as
simple and straightforward expressions
of art, and later expand on them through
the addition of details until I remake them
as paintings. Painting is more emotional;
graphics are more laconic. While the forms
may differ, the only thing that matters is the Inspiration
purpose. The purpose of art is the expression
of an idea in an original form, a masterful Oh inspiration, where are you born?
form, and filled with the feeling of cosmic Sometimes in rainbow, sometimes in dew.
energy and inspiration, without which an Oh inspiration, where are you?
idea or form remains a remains a hollow I am everywhere, I am nowhere.
shell, crafted with exceptional technical skill, Oh inspiration, how do you look?
but nonetheless devoid of all feeling. Sometimes like a sunrise, sometimes
like the moon.
Metamorphosis of time: Oh inspiration, where do you come from?
That is my mystery…
Time is one of the most mysterious concepts.
It flows and slips away, changing everything
around it, and remains eternal. However, it
can be compressed by using every instant
to create something. Never say that you are
too busy. No one knows where the limit is to
what you can make or change in an instant.

11
 TAMARA BALENKO
Curriculum vitae
Tamara Balenko was born in the village of
Uzin in Ukraine, graduated from Odessa
State Art College with a degree in Painting
and Drawin, and earned her master’s in
Illustration and Book Design from National
University of Printing Production.
Additional studies at Los Angeles Valley
College followed her immigration to the
United States in 1998. Tamara has been
working as a fine artist and illustrator, and
received numerous awards on both local and
international level. Director of Education
since 2000 at Golden Key Art Academy, Los
Angeles, USA.

During more than 20 years of teaching

fine art and art history, Tamara Balenko
developed a unique methodology that allows
her art students to participate in numerous
art shows and receive the wards.

Tamara Balenko has been a member of the

Ukrainian Artists’Union since 1993. Tamara’s
award-winning art has been exhibited in
many countries, including Canada, Portugal,
Poland, Belgium and the United States .
Among her collectors there are the Memorial
Museum of Paul Verlaine in Metz, France,
Brunico Graphic Museum of Art in Brunico,
Italy, and the National Museum of Kievo-
Pecherscaya Lavra in Kiev, Ukraine, and
others. Style Festival, 2009; Teaching Qualification
“Specialist of the highest category at the
Special honors: Children School of Art”, Kiev, Ukraine.

Medal of Paul Steller at the competition Tamara’s art works and biography were
II International Show of Xylographic and included in the “Encyclopedia Bio-
Linoleum Engraved Bookplates “Katowice Bibliographical of the Art of the Ex-Libris
‘96”, Poland, 1996; Third Prize at the Contemporary”, published in Portugal.
International Exhibition of Bookplate 500th
Anniversary of America’s discovery by
Cristoforo Colombo, Poland, 1992; Certificate
of Appreciation from West Hollywood
City Hall for outstanding contribution into
the Organization of the 8th Annual Russian

12
 Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Tamara Balenko
All the ex libris created by the artist Tamara Balenko are engraved in relief technique (X6) with exception
of ex libris nos. 26 and 30, wood engraving (X2), marked with an asteristik (*),
and ex-libris no. 6, in linocut (X3), marked with two asteristiks (**).
1985
1 Sherstobitov
Camera, riders, wreath
of thorns and roses
2 Diya Ullianova
Woman in Georgian folk
costume with a pomegranate,
horn of plenty, ram, books
3 P. A. Zagrebelny
Sun, St. Sofia’s Cathedral
in Kiev, books
4 T. Shevchenko
Oak tree and book
1986
5 Nina Matvienko
Music: Bandura-Ukrainian
folk music instrument, maid in
Ukrainian folk costume
1987
6 K. Mellina (**)
Medicine: woman-doctor of
ancient Slavs, book, candle,
healer’s amulet
1989
7 Vilnius - Metropolis
Literature: Portrait of
T. Schevchenko, famous
Ukrainian poet and artist,
architecture of Vilnius
8 Gernot Blum
Medusa
1990
9 B. V. Valuyenko
Literature: portrait of
F. Skarina, famous educator
and printing pioneer of
Belorussia, coat of arms,
snake, book
1990
10 V. M. Didychenko
Medicine: Cossack Mamai,
Ukrainian folk hero, tree,
snake, book
11 Mykola Udovychenko
Music: Bandura-player,
Ukrainian folk character
1991
12 V. P. Vasilyev
Ship, sea, palette
1992
13 Chaika
Ship, seagull, film
14 Jozef Tadeusz Czosnyka
Ship, bell
15 Ivan Kaminsky
Rider in Ukrainian
folk costume
16 Valuyenko
House made of books
17 Antanas Viacius
Sacred theme: cross,
candle, bird
18 Vilniaus Arkikatedra
Bazilika
Christ carrying a cross,
architecture of Vilnius
19 Brukhovetskaya
Theater: portrait of
Mikolaychuck, famous
Ukrainian actor and
director, cross, flowers
20 Gluschenko
Palette, paintbrush,
Pegasus
21 L. Dmitrieva
Man walking over a
guitar string
22 B. & V.
[Balenko & Vasilyev]
Two trees, paintbrush
1993
23 J. T. Czonski
Music: portrait of Chopin
24 K. Machon
Caryatid: architecture of
old Warsaw
25 Osrodka Kultury Ochoty
Music: heart and cross,
architecture of Warsaw
26 Museum National (*)
Reserve
Monk-chronicler
27 M. Grinchak
Flying woman, tree, fish
1995
28 Luc Van den Briele
Andersen’s fairy-tales
29 Ans Van Isselt
Charles Dickens
Christmas Stories
30 Alice Wontec (*)
Christ, skull, tree
1996
31 Benoit
^
Junod
Woman and man,
apple, snake
32 Stanislaw Sliwa
Woman, royal castle
in Warsaw
33 Zygmunt Gontarz
Polish eagle, royal castle
34 Joop Peijenenburg
Theme of death: owl,
skull, book, clock
35 Jean-François Chassaing
Theme of autumn and
life’s transience: violin, birds
36 G. Klid
Literature: portrait of
T. Schevchenko, famous
Ukrainian poet, bandura,
riders, spears cross
13
 1997
37 Oli Ratynskiey
Medieval time, lady with a
dragon, castle

1998
38 Artur da Mota Miranda
Lady with feather and book,
sea view, ship
39 Pope Jan Pawl II
Portrait of Pope John Paul II,
cathedral of St. Peter in Rome

1999
40 Zinaida Kamenetsky
Angel reading a book
41 Jyhusoz Justyay
Pan playing his pipes

2012
42 Maria Melnik
Goddess of Justice with
sword, scales, cat
43 Espace Rousseau
Phoenix, burning heart

14
 CONCHA IBÁÑEZ
Mariano Casas Hierro
Presidente de la Asociación
Catalana de Exlibristas

Concepción Ibáñez Escobar, es una de las posteriormente pintura, grabado y dibujo

figuras femeninas más importantes de la
pintura catalana contemporánea, dedicada
al paisajismo, ha pintado tierras de distintas
comarcas de Cataluña, Castilla, Andalucía,
las Baleares y las Canarias, de Venecia, de
Grecia, del Magreb, de Cuba y de Nueva
York. Sus ilustraciones al óleo o al grabado
han acompañado obras de escritores como
Baltasar Porcel, Miquel de Palol i Felip,
Marta Pessarrodona, Cesáreo Rodríguez
-Aguilera o Josep María Carandell i Robusté.
Concha Ibáñez estudió pintura con el
pintor Josep Oriol Baqué Mercader y
en la Escola de la Llotja de Barcelona con
artistas como el pintor Francesc Labarta,
frecuentando los ambientes de la época en
el Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc. La primera
muestra pública de las obras de Concha
Ibáñez fue en una exposición solidaria para
ayudar a las familias de los presos políticos
a finales de la década de los cuarenta.
Después de diferentes estancias en ciudades
de Italia, Madrid y París, el 1960 expuso
individualmente en la sala Jaimes de
Barcelona y con posterioridad en la sala Abril
de Madrid, y en años sucesivos en diferentes
galerías de Girona, Figueres y Cadaqués,

15
Lleida, Tarragona, Sitges, Barcelona, Palma
de Mallorca, San Sebastián, Madrid, Milán
(Italia), Viena (Austria), Bruselas (Bélgica),
La Habana y Holguín (Cuba) y Nueva York
(EUA). Su obra se encuentra en diferentes
colecciones particulares y museos, como
el MACBA. Expuso y fue miembro del
patronado organizador del Salón de mayo
de Barcelona, del 1966 al 1969. Presentó
sus obras en el Salón femenino de arte
actual. Ha recibido diferentes premios, de
entre los cuales destaca el primer premio
de Pintura Citutat de Hospitalet (1966); el
segundo premio de la Diputació de Girona
(1967); el tercer premio de Pintura Hidalgo
de Caviedes al concurso Rafael Zabaleta,
de Jaén (1973); el premio de Pintura Donart
(1995); y el premio d’Arts Plàstiques del
Museu de la Marina de Vilassar de Mar (1997).
El 1992 fue invitada a participar con un
grupo de artistas catalanas en el II Festival
Internacional de Mujeres, en Bangkok. El
16
1999 inauguró la muestra “El siglo de las
mujeres en la Mediterránea”, organizado
por el Institut Català de la Dona.
Concha Ibáñez ocupa un lugar destacado
entre las artistas plásticas más representa-
tivas de su generación, como Emília Xargay,
Maria Assumpció Raventós, María Girona
o Montserrat Gudiol. Ha formado parte
del grupo SOM 7 en l’Associació de Dones
Artistes de Catalunya, junto con Claude
Collet, Teresa Costa-Gramunt, Lluïsa
Garcia-Muro, Adelaida Murillo, Carme
Riera y Núria Tortras. Concha Ibáñez es una
ferviente amante y practicante del grabado,
del grabado calcográfico, de un grabado de
síntesis, ausente de anécdotas, de interés por
lo esencial, ejecutado mediante las técnicas
del aguafuerte y la aguatinta sobre planchas
de zinc. Planchas de zinc gruesas, de casi
dos milímetros, con unos buenos biseles,
que una vez pulidas reciben unas resinas

generosas sobre las que dibuja con trazo
firme, a continuación unos cuantos baños de
acido nítrico, habiendo previamente tapado
con barniz primero lo que serán los blancos,
después los medios tonos, a continuación
otros grados tonales y así, barniza y baña
la planchas tantas veces como ella cree
oportuno, para que se produzca una lucha
por etapas del ácido y el zinc, y si es menester
después del proceso de quemado de la
plancha, la bruñirá donde haga falta con
el fin de conseguir una degradación suave
del claroscuro pretendido. El entintado
de la plancha lo realiza normalmente con
una sola tinta, encargándose las diferentes
intensidades de la aguatinta y la presión
del tórculo de transmitir las múltiples
gradaciones de color de la plancha al papel.
Sus conocimientos del grabado, su
sensibilidad, creatividad y los muchos
Concha Ibáñez
amigos que tiene, han hecho que todos ellos
podamos presumir de los ex libris a nuestro
nombre que nos ha dedicado la amiga y
admirada Concha. En el recorrido de su obra
nos descubre los ocres y amarillos de Castilla,
los oscuros suelos volcánicos de Lanzarote,
los azules y verdes propios del Garraf y
del Tarragones, la arenosa Marruecos, los
azules de la romántica Venecia… Su obra
tiene un estilo propio. En palabras del
periodista y crítico Josep María Cadena:
“Concha Ibáñez es una paisajista porque
desea entender el mundo en su conjunto.
Podría representar otros aspectos de la
vida colectiva, pero en su visión anímica de
diferentes paisajes consigue abrir caminos
que llevan al concepto de concordia”. Daniel
Giralt-Miracle ha tachado su pintura de
“síntesis de espacios, luz, tierra, naturaleza
y arquitectura dentro de un todo bien
trabado y sensible a los rasgos propios de
17
cada lugar”. Para Baltasar Porcel, “Concha
Ibáñez, pintora de paisajes, casi nunca no
pinta un paisaje: se sirve de unos accidentes
geográficos para exteriorizar su personal
concepción estética y anímica”.

Según el crítico Cesáreo Rodríguez-

Aguilera, “con su parsimonia y su seguridad,
Concha Ibáñez ha ido perfilando con
caracteres propios las formas y los signos;
ha enriquecido la materia, ha dado solidez
al sentido arquitectural de su pintura, ha
conjugado el color con moderación y con
audacia”. El crítico Josep Corredor Matheos
ha considerado que “Concha Ibáñez ha ido
uniendo, con el tiempo, dos procesos que
parecen contradictorios: el de una progresiva
abstracción y el de una concreción mayor
cada día, con el enfoque de una parcela
concreta de la realidad”. En el Diccionario
Ràfols se sintetiza el estilo de Concha
Ibáñez: “su obra, dedicada especialmente al
paisaje, está hecha de solitudes y silencios,
resuelta con sencillez y coloreada con
dulzura, desplegando formas con matices
de una cautivadora sensibilidad poética. Lo
mismo se puede afirmar de sus grabados, en sin ceder enfrente de nada, no la he visto
que la sutil gradación del color se alía con un nunca seguir modas. Surcos, arboles, ocres o
sentido de la forma, invariablemente sobrio verdes, el clasicismo genuino o una lectura
y candoroso”. Santos Torroella escribió en El plasmada en un pastel, por ejemplo. Obras
Noticiero Universal: Concha Ibáñez practica realizadas a lo largo de su vida que explican
el tacto y la geometría del arte de pintar que su casa, su taller, sus viajes, sus telas,
con un fervor infrecuente, con una rara su conversación, son una promesa de qué
distinción que hace que en estas obras suyas quizás aquello que vemos acabaremos
todo sea límpido y sereno, claro y preciso, teniéndolo perpetuamente enmarcado.
pero, al propio tiempo, suave y querencioso, En la obra de Concha Ibáñez se insinúa la
más como acariciado dulcemente que como ilusión que tiene de pintar, la creatividad
plásticamente aprisionado en su estricta y personalidad generadora de unas obras
captación. que perduran a pesar de la fugacidad de
las modas.
Marta Pessarrodona dice, que en la carrera
de obstáculos – Germaine Greer dixit – que es
la mujer en el mundo de la pintura, Concha
Ibáñez hace años que gana carreras sin ruido,
sin publicidad, sin altivez, pero, imponiendo
en su mundo, lo que quiere decir con sus
líneas y sus colores inconfundibles, y lo
hace desde una mirada de mujer tranquila

18
19
 CONCHA IBÁÑEZ
Concepción Ibáñez Escobar is one of the
most important female figures of the
contemporary Catalan painting. Ibáñez is
devoted to Landscape painting executing
several landscapes from different regions of
Catalonia, Castile, Andalusia, the Balearic
and Canary Islands, as well as from Venice,
Greece, Maghreb, Cuba and New York.
Her oil painting or engraving illustrations
have accompanied works of writers such as
Baltasar Porcel, Miquel de Palol i Felip, Marta
Pessarrodona, Cesáreo Rodríguez-Aguilera
or Josep María Carandell i Robusté.
Concha Ibáñez studied painting with the
painter Josep Oriol Baqué Mercader, and later
studied painting, engraving and drawing at
the Escola de la Llotja in Barcelona with artists
such as the painter Francesc Labarta. Ibáñez
frequented then the artistic environments at
that time at the Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc.
The first public display of Concha Ibáñez’s
works was at a solidarity-based exhibition to
help families of political prisoners in the late
1940’s. After visiting different cities of Italy,
Madrid, and Paris, she individually exhibited
her works in the exhibition hall Jaimes in
Barcelona in 1960, and later in the hall Abril
in Madrid. During the successive years, she
also displayed her paintings at different art
galleries in Girona, Figueres, Cadaqués,
Lleida, Tarragona, Sitges, Barcelona, Palma
de Mallorca, San Sebastián, Madrid, Milan
(Italy), Vienna (Austria), Brussels (Belgium),
Havana and Holguín (Cuba), and New York
(USA). Her work is found in various private
collections and museums, such as MACBA
(Barcelona Museum of Contemporary
Art). Concha Ibáñez was a member of the
patronage which organized the Salón de Mayo
in Barcelona from 1966 to 1969. She presented
her works at the female Hall of contemporary
art and has been awarded several prizes,
20
among which we should highlight the first
prize in Pintura Ciutat de Hospitalet (1966); the
second prize in Diputació de Girona (1967); the
third prize in Pintura Hidalgo de Caviedes in the
Rafael Zabaleta competition in Jaén (1973);
the prize in Pintura Donart (1995); and the
prize in Arts Plàstiques del Museu de la Marina
de Vilassar de Mar (1997). In 1992, she was
invited to participate with a group of Catalan
women artists in the Second International
Women’s Festival in Bangkok. In 1999,
Ibáñez inaugurated the display of “El siglo
de las mujeres en la Mediterránea” (“The
century of women in the Mediterranean”),
organized by the Institut Català de la Dona.
Concha Ibáñez occupies a high rank among
the most representative plastic artists of
her generation, like Emília Xargay, Maria
Assumpció Raventós, María Girona or
Montserrat Gudiol. Ibáñez took part in the
group SOM 7 in the Associació de Dones
Artistes de Catalunya with Claude Collet,
Teresa Costa-Gramunt, Lluïsa Garcia-Muro,
Adelaida Murillo, Carme Riera and Núria
Tortras.
Concha Ibáñez is a fervent lover and
practitioner of engraving, chalcography, and
of a synthesis of engraving, which has no
anecdotes but interest in the essential, and
which is carried out by means of the etching
and aquatint techniques on zinc plates. The
zinc plates are thick, almost two millimeters,
and they have good bevels that, once polished,
receive a generous quantity of resins upon
which one can draw with firm stroke. Then,
the plates are coated with nitric acid, having
previously covered what will be the white
parts with varnish. Afterwards, Ibáñez does
the same thing to the half tones and then to
other color ranges. Thus she varnishes and
coats the plates as many times as she believes
it to be appropriate, in order to give rise to
a struggle by stages between acid and zinc.
If necessary, after the burning process of the
plate, she will burnish where needed, with
the aim of achieving some soft degradation
of the intended chiaroscuro. She usually
realizes the inking of the plate with one single
ink, and thus the different intensities of the
aquatint and the etching press are in charge
of transmitting the multiple color gradations
from the plate to paper. Her knowledge of
engraving, her sensitivity, creativity and the
fact that she has lots of friends have been
the reason why we – her friends – can boast
about the ex libris which our admired friend
Concha has dedicated to us. In the course
of her work, Ibáñez reveals the ochers and
yellows of Castile, the dark volcanic soils of
Lanzarote, the typical blues and greens of
Garraf and Tarragonès, the sandy Morocco,
the blues of the romantic Venice…
Her work has a personal style. In the words of
the journalist and critic Josep María Cadena:
“Concha Ibáñez is a landscapist because she
longs to understand the world as a whole.
She could also represent other aspects of
collective life, but in her emotional view of
different landscapes she paves the way for the
concept of harmony”. Daniel Giralt-Miracle
has labeled her painting as “a synthesis of
spaces, light, land, nature and architecture
within a thorough whole which is sensitive to
the characteristic features of each place”.
To Baltasar Porcel, “Concha Ibáñez, a painter
of landscapes, seldom paints a landscape:
she makes use of a few geographical features
in order to externalize her personal esthetic
and emotional conception”. According to the
critic Cesáreo Rodríguez-Aguilera, “with her
calmness and self-confidence, Concha Ibáñez
21
has been defining shapes and signs with her
own characters; she has enriched the material,
has given strength to the architectural sense
of her painting, has conjugated the color
moderately and boldly”.
The critic Josep Corredor Matheos has
considered that “Concha Ibáñez has been
joining within time two processes that seem
contradictory: the process of a progressive
abstraction and the one of a concretion
that is increasing every day, along with
the viewpoint focused on a specific part of
reality”. In the Ràfols dictionary, Concha
Ibáñez’s style is synthesized: “her work,
22
particularly devoted to landscape, is made of
solitude and silence, settled with simplicity
and colored with sweetness, and at the
same time it displays shapes with nuances
of a captivating poetic sensitivity. The same
thing could be said about her engravings, in
which the subtle color gradation forms an
alliance with a sense of the shape, invariably
sober and candid”. Santos Torroella wrote
in El Noticiero Universal: Concha Ibáñez
practices the touch and geometry of the art
of painting with infrequent fervor. There’s a
rare distinction that makes everything clean
and calm, clear and precise, but at the same
time smooth and haunting, sweetly caressed
rather than plastically imprisoned in
its strict capture.
Marta Pessarrodona says that in
obstacle racing – Germaine Greer dixit
– the woman in the world of painting,
Concha Ibáñez has been winning
races for years without making
noise, without advertisement or
haughtiness but imposing in her own
world what she means to say behind
her unmistakable lines and colors. She
is doing all this with a calm woman
look on her face and never giving
up; I have never seen her following
trends. Furrows, trees, ochers or
greens, the genuine classicism or a
reading expressed through a cake
– for example. Artistic works that
have been made throughout her life,
works which explain that her house,
her studio, her travels, her cloths and
her conversation promise us that
all what we see might eventually
be perpetually framed. Through
Concha Ibáñez’s work, we can
perceive her enthusiasm for painting,
her creativity and her personality; a
personality which has generated
a series of works that will remain
despite the fleetingness of trends.
23
Listado cronológico de los ex libris de
Concha Ibáñez
2004 2007 2009 2012
1 Xavier Costa Clavell 1 2 Ciro Llueca 1 7 Josep Mª Cadena 2 5 Adelaida Murillo
Mesa, estantería y Mar y mezquitas Mesa y estantería Molino de Mallorca
ventana con paisaje al fondo con paisaje de faro 26/37 Concha Ibáñez
2 Guillermo Casañas 13 Josep Sangüesa 18 Maria del Plazas de Barcelona
Mesa, estantería, reloj Paisaje con Carme Caparrós
y ventana con marina cipreses Bouquet con 6 calas
14 Ahnmed Mousa
2006 Ciudad árabe 2011
3 Federico Gallego con palmeras 1 9 Concha Ibánez
Paisaje manchego con 15 Llum Torrens Paisaje de Castilla
5 molinos Mesa, estantería 20 Concha Ibáñez
4 Associació Catalana y ventana con Columnas y mar de
d’Exlibristes marina y barco Grecia
Montaña de Montserrat con 4 velas 21 Carlos Fonollosa
5 Arturo Zaera Ariño Cerradura
Barco de vela bajo arco 2008 22 Luisa García-Muro
6 Arturo Zaera Ariño 1 6 Mónica Pitarch El faro
Paisaje con camino 6 calas bajo arco 23 Luisa García-Muro
y 5 cipreses Mesa con ventana
7 Marià Casas 24 Arturo Zaera Ariño
Mesa y barco de vela Paisaje de Alcañiz
en el mar, bajo arco
8 Marià Casas
Paisaje labrado
con árboles
9 Montserrat Estradé
Mesa con libro, calas
y marina con barco
de vela
10 Mariá Gil Casas
Paloma volando
sobre flores
11 Nuria Company
Ventosa
Frutero y ventana
con paisaje de playa

________
Concha Ibáñez utiliza las dos técnicas (C3+C5). Las líneas las hace rayando el barniz y metiéndole en el ácido (C3)
y las manchas las hace con resinas que espolvorea en la plancha y después de calentarla y dejarla enfriar las mete al
ácido, por tanto todos sus ex libris son “C3+C5”, o sea aguafuerte mas aguatinta.

24
 AKI MIYAJIMA
Interview by Shonosuke EZOE
Please, talk about your background
of your childhood and family.
I was born in Minowa, the downtown area
of Tokyo. Minowa has the old cityscape that
was left miraculously untouched by the air
raids of World War II. The people of Minowa
are not only sincere but also warmhearted.
In my family I have my parents and an older
brother; my father and mother worked in the
apparel sector. My mother left her job after
marriage and helped in the clock shop of her
parents’ house in Minowa. My grandfather
was a skillful clock craftsman, sign maker
and simple furniture maker. He also took
photographs of the events of a neighboring
school and he was liked and relied on by
Aki Miyajima
the people of the town. My house and
my grandfather’s house were very small
without a bathroom, so we usually used the
neighboring public bathhouse after supper.
My father was transferred and we moved
to Nagoya from Tokyo. I lived in Nagoya
from the kindergarten years until I was 24
years old. After making this move from
Tokyo to Nagoya, I was very surprised by
the feeling of newness of Nagoya. During
my early childhood in Tokyo, I knew only
the immediate downtown area and never
visited Ginza and Shibuya which made-
up the modern area of Tokyo at that time.
This explains my surprise at the town of
Nagoya. I live now in Adachi-ward, another
25
downtown area of Tokyo. Here I find several
old buildings mixed with plenty of new
structures.
When did you begin to work on your art?
And why and when did you make up
your mind to become an artist?
Since kindergarten I started drawing and
then later oil painting when I was in primary
school. From the time of my early years, I
wanted to become a painter. As a child, I
was shy and merely drew pictures quietly
because I had few friends. Then when I was
a student in junior high school, I stopped
drawing pictures and found new interests
in playing kendo, meaning “way of the
sword”. The reason for this new activity was
that a friend invited me, but I played kendo
for only three years of junior high school.
Then, I became interested in film and
aimed to become either a movie director or
commercial director. I loved foreign films
and often went to the cinema. I had likes
and dislikes about movie directors. My
favorites are Theo Angelopoulos (Greece),
Dario Argento (Italy), Jean-Jacques Beineix
(France). These three directors gave me
inspiration when I intended to do a picture
related work and I was also influenced by
their use of color. Those colors are the gray
of the cloudy sky of Theo Angelopoulos, the
red of the blood of Dario Argento, and the
sentimental blue of Jean-Jacques Beineix.
I studied cinematography in Nagoya
Zokei Junior College of Art & Design and
produced the pictures of CM as a CG
designer. And after graduation I found a job
in a movie production company in Nagoya.
When I was 24 years old, I moved to Tokyo
and changed my career to the graphic arts
industry. Since then I continue in this line of
work. Cinematography requires teamwork
to be successful. Graphics can be produced
in solitude from concept to completion
and this matches my basic character.
For this reason, I switched to the field of
26
graphic arts. Today, I work in this capacity
professionally, and print production is
practically my only interest. When I make a
rough sketch before the print stage, I apply
a technique to compose a screen of a layer of
the graphic application.
What stimulated your interest in bookplate
production? Why do you make ex libris?
What do you think about the fascination
of the bookplate?
I studied the illustrations in three books
written by Truman Capote. “I Remember
Grandpa”, “One Christmas” and “A
Christmas Memory”, translated by Haruki
Murakami, and illustrated by Ms. Yoko
Yamamoto. I appreciated the splendor of the
illustrations and was surprised to learn that
they were drawn by a Japanese artist.
Ms. Yoko Yamamoto is well known for
her etching techniques. I watched her TV
program which was “The Introduction to
Etching” that was broadcasted on NHK
TV in September, 1998. I was so inspired, I
bought the textbook of this program. In this
book there were advertisements of studios
recruiting members along with an entrance
guide from each studio. The entrance guide
of Doumu Print Art Studio was the best
guide of them all, so I promptly became a
member of this studio. At that time I was 27
years old and I studied copperplate etching
techniques by Mr. Seiji Kamachi at the studio
and was recommended to make bookplates.
Then, and for next 13 years, I continued
working in a company on weekdays and
copperplate etching production on the
weekends.
The reasons why I continue to make
bookplates are as follows: I can exchange
my bookplate designs with other bookplate
collectors. When I have an exhibition,
I display all of my art along with my
bookplates. This increases my exposure. In
this case, I set slightly lower prices to my
 Opus 32
“Those who would have been left behind” is my eternal theme.

bookplates compared with other works
to make them attractive to more people.
I want many people to own my works.
Producing bookplate art is a very effective
way to do this.
There are some fascinations of the
bookplate as an artist. First, there are
many international bookplate competitions
around the world. And the catalogues from
each competition that include my work are
sent to me. The second is that bookplate
lovers in the world can see my work in these
catalogues. The third is that somebody sees
my address listed in this catalogue and this
person may order a bookplate from me. The
international competition raises my interest
in making bookplates.

27
Who or what influenced you most?
I have two uncles, one is a painter and the
other a photographer. I think that they
had a big influence on me. When I lived
in Nagoya, I visited my uncle’s house (the
painter) in Tokyo during summer vacations
and I played with my cousins whose age is
near to mine. Because I could enter his atelier
freely, I saw a lot of his works (mainly nude
oil paintings). Therefore I could have a more
natural acceptance for the nude without a
shameful feeling. I felt that his nude subjects
were rather beautiful.
One of the subjects of my uncle’s photographs
was also nude. This influenced me by a true
meaning of eroticism. When I was very
young, he presented some books written
in foreign languages on art that had many
pictures and illustrations. Because I could
not read foreign languages, I looked at

Opus 28
World of darkness and chaos of Bruno Schulz, Jewish novelist
who shot dead by the Nazis.

28
 Opus 26
Jellyfish wander the sea, and in a moment disappear soon and become sea foam.

29
the illustrations in a serious and absorbed
manner. I think this lead me to the world of
the art. This uncle always encouraged me to
pursue the world of print art.

What is your main technique in your works?

My technique is etching and I will continue

to use it for my future works. I love the
production process of etching. I think
that the copper plate is a mirror to reflect
myself. The more it becomes an intricate
work, the more time I can devote to it. I use
the extra-fine needle for handicrafts. This
technique can be a burden on my fingers
since I can feel great pain when I make my
work. I call it “Konjo-technique” which
needs great guts.

What is your favorite theme?

The theme that I often use is that of a story,

including a novel. The main character
may be a man, a woman, a bird, or even a
building. I reflect on this image and it is not
possible to me to work otherwise. A main
character and myself in my work must be
synchronized; there must be a story in my
work and I make a printing by etching.
Therefore all my works are my self-portrait.
I create the image of the work through
Opus 21
sections, and all these sections are given an
Books written by Lafcadio Hearn, the Greek-born
approval rating. And I then lay out all of the
Japanese researcher, tell us the spirit of the Japanese soul
parts that compose the image and achieved that dwells also in vegetation and insects.
this approval rating. I enjoy reading very
much but do not do it as much as I would
like to. Sometimes I read a favorite story AKI MIYAJIMA
over and over again giving preference to Curriculum vitae
stories written a 100 years ago or more.
The reason why I like these old stories is Aki Miyajima was born in Tokyo and
that writers before World War II knew of her artistic endeavors began in 1998 with
genuine darkness. For example, I like stories copperplate etchings. Later, in 2001, she
written by Yakumo Koizumi (Lafcadio started submitting her work for international
Hearn) or Soseki Natsume. bookplate competitions. In 2010 and 2011,
Aki Miyajima earned an Excellence Prize
Translated by Kiyohiro INOUE at the competitions of “Kusamakura Art
and Shonosuke EZOE Exhibition” and the Gold Medal Prize of
Nippon Ex Libris Association.

30
 Opus 33
Buildings of the old time when Tokyo was said to be an Imperial Capital
had left in modern Tokyo. The building in the middle is an old prison,
and the form suggests the bird which cannot fly.

31
Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Aki Miyajima

2001 2005 2010

1 Aki (X5) 19 Mikio Kouyama (C3) 27 Heloise (C3)
Rope Temptation garden Heloise
2 Kaoru (C3) 20 Snale (C3) 28 Yaso & Seiga (C3)
Zasiki butterfly Evergreen Sanatorium pod
3 Makoto (C3) 21 Ichigoro Uchida (C3C5) KlepsySra
Zashiki butterfly Aoyagi - Lafcadio 29 Ligeia (C3)
4 Aki (C3C5) Hearn Ligeia
Orchid lady 22 Gubernija (C3) 30 Miriam (C3)
Rugys & Apynys Miriam
2002
5 K. Shimamura (C3C5) 2006 2012
Sacrifice 23 Aki (C3) 31 Miriam & Sarah (C3)
6 K. Shimamura (C3) Into the night Camilla
Spider lady 32 Aki (C3)
7 Aki (C3C5) 2007 Kagamigaike
Roselyne et les lions 24 Luna (C3) – Remains
8 Ichigoro Uchida (C3C5) Luna 33 Morioka Shoten (C3)
Freedom 2008 Teito - Remaiins
9 Aki (C3) 25 Takashi Ito (C3)
Freedom Fantasy time
2003 26 Y. Nishioka (C3)
10 University Library Jellyfish princess
of Rijeka (C3C5)
Man & Fish
11 Aki (C3C5)
Shinjuku finale
12 Ilyes Istvan (C3)
Remember
13/14 Tadeusz Ortyl (C3)
Requiem
2004
15 Aki (C3)
Alliance of immorality
16 Aki (C3)
Bird cannot fly
17 Massimo Battolla (C3)
La Divina Comedia
18 Aki (C3C5) Opus 23
Walkabout I keep the snails. I’m fascinated by the mystery of its ecology.

All the captions to the illustrated examples of Aki Miyajima's ex libris are in artist's own words.

32
 ELENA KISELEVA Elena Kiseleva

The feelings and thoughts

by the artist
There were many creative people among
my ancestors, they have played musical
instruments and drawn pictures, though
mostly they were professional engineers.
My mother has played the most important
role in my upbringing, teaching me dancing,
singing, drawing, literature, and music. She
gave me the pencil when I was less than just
one year old and I couldn’t even walk, but I
started drawing using the walls, books, and
everything else for my pictures.

As previously mentioned, since my early

childhood I have been drawing. When I
was very young I was also encouraged to
study music, but my decision was made and
I went on to become a professional artist.
I think that it’s part of my talent and my
love for graphics. I enjoy the plastic block
and flowing line because it is here that I can
express myself in the engraving. After I make
the prints from the etching I can paint them
in different colors creating a different mood.

This way I can show my interest in literature
and my customer. I think the bookplate is
another variety of a portraiture, this being
another genre of art I devoted myself for
many years. In the bookplate one can tell
about the customer’s personality, the literary
work, music, poetry, mythology. I’m also
attracted by the possibility to show many
things in a symbolic way. The bookplate has
the place for philosophy, paradox, passionate
senses, and cool mind. For me, the bookplate
is a whole wide world in miniature.
Each design is very different, as the customers
are different people too. As for me, the best
customer is a person who trusts my talent
and gives me free theme for the work. Then
my imagination flies and I do it with great
pleasure. I also like the customers who
give me complicated themes from classical
literature, mythology, music, but I don’t like
when somebody is trying to control my every
movement as an artist or gives common
themes. My favorite themes are myths of
ancient Greece and Rome, the Bible, classical
literature and poetry, classical music and
jazz, as well as humorous subjects. A special
place has the theme of love and erotica and
the continuance of the mythology, literature
and music.
As I make the prliminary sketches, it takes
quite long time. Before the engraving process
I know almost exactly how the result will

33
look excluding some abstract details that I
add during the engraving. After I print the
test copies I continue to work with the plate,
but the most interesting for me is to color the
finished prints and create different colorful
solutions which can change the mood of the
picture.
Elena Kiseleva
ELENA KISELEVA
Curriculum vitae
Elena Kiseleva is an outstanding Russian
artist. She is a member of the Federation of
the Russian Artists and Exlibris Society in
St. Petersburg and Germany. She took part
in the International project “Global Gallery”
under the aegis of UNESCO, in Burgenland,
Austria.
Prize of the “Till Eulenspiegel Federation”,
Belgium, 1997. There is a lot of fantasy in
34
her works. Unusual combination of subjects,
objects and concepts create a peculiar and
unique world of images. Elena Kiseleva
expresses the inner world of a reader through
the author’s personality. A series of works
“The Golden Land” occupies a large part of
the artist’s creative work. The idea behind
the series can be characterized as a “search
for the Lost Paradise or the Promised Land”,
or “dreams of harmonious being”.
Many times the artist took part in
exhibitions in St. Petersburg, Gatchina and
Moscow, Russia. Some of her works were
presented in art galleries of South Korea,
USA, Mexico, Denmark, Finland, Czech
Republic, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Portugal,
and England. Art works of Elena Kiseleva
are kept in several museums of the world,
such as Dostoyevsky Museum, in Russia;
Frederikshavn Kunstmuseum in Denmark;
Gutenberg Museum in Germany.
35
36
Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Elena Kiseleva

1980 1991 1993 1994

1 E. Kiseleva 18 S. Konrad 40 M. Ogorodnow 60 Shutilov
Book Buddha Eros and Psyche Russian muse
19 G. Andreotti 41 Lilo & Alois Braun 61 Doris Thiel
1981 Roman she-wolf Landscape Music
2 A. Novikov 20 G. Andreotti 42 Iwa Stiftung 62 Lars C. Stolt
City and Funambulist Eroticism Eroticism
landscape 21 Olga Solovyeva 43 Anneliese & Josef 63 Anke
3 Shtshekotovich Metamorphosis Vine Music
Lady and knight 44 Iwa Stiftung 64 Freimut Hauk
4 G. Kiselev 1992 Eroticism Science
Archer 22 Monakhov 45 Frohlich 65 Remo & Rossella
5 N. M. Kiseleva Cross Landscape Palmirani
Russian icon 23 F. Schiller 46 G. S. Alice’s
The Robbers (Gabi Schlag) Adventures
1982 24 Olga Sola E. T. A. Hoffmann: in Wonderland
6 Monakhova – Pierrot Johannes Kreisler
Kiseleva 25 E. Maslova 1995
47 S. T. (Tresser)
Walk Bottles and doll 66 Hans Freundlich
Eroticism
7 Bykovsky 26 G. Castagnetti Landscape
Orpheus Owl and book 1994 67 Irene & Karl
27 G. Castagnetti 48 L. Nowikowa Signs of the zodiac
1983
Scientist Ancient motives 68 Agaath & Jos
8 Sharapaeva
28 G. Castagnetti 49 Brigitte – Waterschoot
Ukrainian
Owl and sea Norbert – Alessa Daphne & Apollo
landscape
29 G. Castagnetti Hot air balloon 69 Horst
9 Vasilyev
Owl and Sun 50 A. Artüch Music
White nights
30 G. Castagnetti Ecology 70 Ingeborg Rosin
10 Аrchipovy
Owl and tree 51 V. Khudoley Naturopathy
Russian icon
31 S. Vasileva François Rabelais 71 Elsbeth Hauk
11 Danilushka
Orchid 52 S. Petrow Reynard the Fox
Boy
32 Gerlinde Schlag François Rabelais 72 Luc Van den Briele
1984 Virginia Woolf 53 V. Khudoley Reynard the Fox
12 Soinikovy 33 Thomas Lange Mythologiacal 73 G. P. Smith
Мusic Gogol:The Nose eroticism Reynard the Fox
13 Trishinoi 34 Elke Braun 54 Arno & Helma 74 Herbert Schwarz
Dance Apokalypse Inner light Tomcat Murr
35 Sommhammer 55 Gisela & Werner
1986 Music Signs of the zodiac 1996
14 Kinovits 36 P. Poppek 56 Barbel & Frank 75 Werner
Puppet theatre Knight and bird Signs of the zodiac Music
15 Nadezhdi 37 Anneliese & 57 Harald & Paula 76 Thomas Pfalz
G. (Gasilovoi) Josef Signs of the zodiac Biedermeier Style
Аrt nouveau Bavarian fairytale 58 Luc Van 77 G. P. Smith
16 Sisoeva 38 Gerard Merkator den Briele Diana
St. Petersburg Merkator Ecology 78 Andrea Lang
17 Kiselevich 39 M. Lauer 59 V. Solotuchin Nature
Playing card German singing R. Bach 79 Sergei Petrow
The sea
37
 1996 1998 1999 2001
80 Doris Thiel 98 R. V. W. 1 19 Norbert Gysser 1 39 Bosselmann
Music ( Williams) Pushkin: Charles
81 Luc Van Willians: Eugen Onegin Baudelaire:
den Briele Symphony nr. 5 120 Sell Voyage
Veronica 99 Rita Friedemann Music, art 140 Halina Malesa
82 Luc Van Playing cards 121 Marina Stappen Sun
den Briele 100 Konrad Binder Shakespeare: 141 Henryk Malesa
Veronica Flying home Storm Jazz
83 Esther 101 Wilma Schenk 122 Dieter Schmidt 142 G. P. Smith
Metamorphosis Sport Sport Susanna and
84 Uwe Abram 102 Daniel Weichel 123 Schönhagen the Old Men
Family Daniel in the Herbs 143 Alexander
85 Luc Van lion’s den 124 Wolf Gromow
den Briele 103 Norbert Gysser Wolf in the office Eroticism
Leo Tolstoy: Pushkin: Queen 125 Klaus Rödel 144 Lars C. Stolt
The Three of Spades Bacchus Kraków
Old Men 104 Hildgard Pungs 126 Alexander 145 Emil Kunze
86 M. Hagedorn Daphnis Gromov Leo Tolstoy:
Little Zinnober and Chloe Eroticism The Kreutzer
105 Bühler 127 Alexander Gromov Sonata
1997 Concerto grosso Pushkin:
87 Georges Dumon 106 W. Mulemans Eugen Onegin 2002
Music Frina 1 46 Gabi Groß
88 Sven Böhne 107 G. P. Smith 2000 Ken Kesey’s
Chiromancy Song of Songs 1 28 G. P. Smith “One Flew
89 Guy Segers 108 Atze Köhler Hot air balloon Over the
Till Eulenspiegel Hot air balloon 129 Sigrid Licht Cuckoo’s Nest”
90 Gordon 109 Reinchard Jung Herman Hesse: 147 Universitäts-
P. Smith Sport Siddhartha bibliothek
The judgment 130 Helge Larsen Heidelberg
of Paris 1999 Flying Dutchman Virgin
91 Georges Dumon 1 10 Klaus Rödel 131 Daniela Geue 148 Emil Kunze
Music Leda Hermann Hesse: Kafka:
92 M. Gashi-Butler 111 Dorothee Hauk Stage Metamorphosis
The Tomcat, Mozart 132 Alexander 149 РНО-DRG
dressed as Professor 112 Viktor Taran Gromov Ettlingen-Gatchina
93 Gil Beumont Baron Eroticism 150 Norbert
Sonnets of Münchhausen 133 Tatyana Hillerbrandt
Orpheus 113 Margit Köhler Ermakova Danae
Flowers and stars Fisics 151 Margaret
1998 114 Christopher 134 Müllerschön Harrisson
9 4 A. P. Nekhai Wiechel Windmills Queen
Portrait of the Cristoforo Colombo 135 Viktor Taran 152 Ursula Werner
owner and 115 Frank Weber Hot air balloon Charity
his dog Rider 136 Kinderklinik
95 Norbert Gysser 116 Gerhard Kreft Gatshina 2003
Gogol: Junge Children 1 53 G. P. Smith
The Overcoat 117 Peter Wiechel Carnival in Venice
96 Karin Prokofiev: Petya 2001
Herder-Gysser 1 37 Clifford Walker 2004
and the Wolf
The Lilttle Prince Walker 1 54 Murray Rosen
118 Lu Schmid
97 Wolfgang Schmidt 138 Arno Triebskorn Sapho
Girl and flowers
Horseman Buddhism 155 Wouter van Gysel
Salome

38
39
 2004 2008 2009 2011
56 Michaela Weber
1 1 78 W. v. p. W. 1 86 Hugo Viaene 1 94 Helge Larsen
Girl and birt Abstrakt Dolce far niente Concert
157 Herda Honig 179 C.- J. R. 187 Jirí Chrtek in Venice
Honey Saint Nicholas Glasses 195 Yuri Vasiliev
158 Emma Parker 180 Marie Glorieux 188 Andrey Reynov St. George
TV Family Family 196 S. Naryschkin
159 James Parker 181 Trudie en Pieter Russian fairy
Theatre Trans Baikal 2010 Bird Gamayun
160 Herman Wiese Express 1 89 Wolfgang Wissing
Adam 18 2 Wolfgang Pungs Mops and Death 2011
161 Marta Chlebo Lady Godiva 190 Giuseppe Mirabella 1 97 Helge Larsen
Greece 183 Corrie Russia Concert
Walaardt Sacré 191 Reinhard Laufen in Venice
2005 Woman as Perseus and 198 Xotxris
62 Norbert
1 a mystery Medusa Ship of Fools
Hillerbrandt 192 Karin + Ernst
Odysseus and 2009 (Deeken) 2012
Navsica 1 84 W. + H. Grebe Harlequin and 199 Dr. Wolfgang Pungs
163 Klaus Rödel Bilibin Columbine Venus
Wine 185 Norbert 193 Herbert Schwarz
2013
164 Helge Larsen Hillerbrandt Dostoyevsky
200 Reinhard Laufen
Trojan horse Mynotaurus
Herman Hesse
165 Monika Pohl
201 Wolfgang Hoenle
Jewelry Art
Alchemy
166 Mario Micheletti
Flora
167 Brigitte Esche
Owl

2006
68 Alexander Sverdlin
1
Theatre
169 Herbert Schwarz
Venus
170 P. R. van
der Weerdt
Antigona
171 René Guerra
Owner’s portrait
172 Eugeny Ivanov
Owner’s portrait
173 Norbert
Hillerbrandt
Eroticism
174 Emelianov
Fortuna

2007
1 75 Helge Larsen
Eroticism
176 Evert Weldhuizen
Adam and Eve
177 Andrey Shmelev
Angel

40
 MAURIZIA MARINI
Dott. Gian Carlo Torre
Storico dell’Ex Libris
Maurizia Marini è nata nel 1946 a Genova,
da papà genovese e mamma bolognese,
che avevano da generazioni una fabbrica
di pasta, a Molassana. “Da bambina, quando
mi era permesso, assistevo con gioia alla
preparazione della pasta, vedere i grossi
macchinari all’opera era come assistere a una
magia e vivere in un mondo di favola… ho
vissuto un’infanzia solitaria trascorsa in mezzo
agli adulti, ma bellissima, fatta di case con grandi
spazi e tutti che si prendevano cura di me e della
mia educazione, mi portavano ai loro impegni e
mentre li aspettavo imparavo ad osservare tutto
quello che mi circondava”.
La mattina a scuola, velocemente i compiti
a casa, e poi via, nel mondo esterno, su per
le fasce, negli olivi, nel boschetto dei lauri
con la vasca dell’acqua e le piccolissime
ranocchiette verdi. C’era anche il sapore del
proibito, “un angolo nascosto dove i bambini
non potevano andare e dove crescevano piante
misteriose con grandi foglie, era tabacco, e
nell’estate il solaio a Ca’ de’ Richin, in campagna,
luogo di grandi delizie quando riuscivo a
mettervi piede”. Ha frequentato il Liceo
Artistico Nicolò Barabino a Genova ove si
è diplomata nel 1964, anno in cui ha vinto
il primo premio nazionale, sezione disegno,
del Concorso Nazionale INA-Touring
riservato agli studenti dei Licei Artistici
italiani, nel 2000 si è iscritta ai corsi liberi
di incisione dell’Accademia Ligustica di
Genova. “L’aver frequentato il liceo artistico ha
fatto si che io potessi “imparare a disegnare” e
lo metto tra virgolette perché credo fermamente
che anche un talento naturale, senza il rigore
dell’insegnamento possa avere dei limiti di
espressione”.
Era un po’ restia al mondo degli ex libris
“perché pensavo che fosse complicato riuscire
ad entrare nello spirito dell’ex libris, le mie
erano grafiche più grandi e la piccola lastra
mi dava l’idea di una costrizione provando ho
pian piano capito lo spirito dell’ex libris e sono
riuscita ad entrare in questo mondo così vario
ed interessante”. Predilige e ha sempre usato
l’acquaforte la tecnica più adatta al suo
modo di incidere. “Non ho mai pensato che
la tecnica sia fondamentale per l’espressione
artistica, non credo che sia la tecnica a dare
valore all’opera ma è l’opera stessa che valorizza
la tecnica”.
Definisce l’ex libris una grafica che ha perso
il suo significato originario; “ormai è una
passione uscita dal suo significato e dal suo
contesto, è diventato un fatto intellettualistico
oggetto di collezionismo e per me va benissimo
perché permette la sopravvivenza di una
espressione artistica raffinata e intellettuale”.
Non fa mai studi di composizione, comincia
da qualsiasi parte e va avanti, le scritte
e/o i testi, che inserisce dove le piace,
non limitano assolutamente la sua libertà
compositiva. Molti sono gli ex libris dedicati
all’ambiente famigliare e ai suoi personaggi
“Preferisco non accettare committenze. Solo
due volte ho accettato per amicizia e sono
riuscita a far coincidere la mia fantasia e il gusto
dell’intestatario dell’ex libris”.
Il primo ex libris dedicato a Matteo Zoppi
risale al 2005, “Luna a Ca de Richin” rende
omaggio ai gufi, i rapaci notturni che
popolano l’ambiente esterno della Ca de
Richin, la amata casa di campagna, numerosi
41
gli ex libris successivi dedicati sempre a
Matteo Zoppi che descrivono momenti
legati ai cibi della terra, “Moderazione”,
alla natura e alla musica “Lefkada 2008”,
e al gatto ove Maurizia Marini descrive le
realtà e i momenti con tratti precisi e legati ai
soggetti da rappresentare. Successivamente
la grafia si modifica, compone con un
linguaggio personale tra figurazione ed
astrazione. I suoi minuti disegni, con segni
sinuosi e avvolgenti, il segno raffinato, ci
invogliano a meditare sulle sue opere per
riconoscerne le radici, qui emerge la sua
formazione arricchita dalla formazione
classica “sono sempre stata osservatrice di tutto
42
quello che mi circonda, oggetti, forme, effetti di
luce, ombre, qualsiasi cosa i miei occhi vedano;
guardo tutto, qualsiasi espressione artistica
di qualsiasi epoca mi incuriosisce e la osservo
attentamente prima di decidere se mi piaccia
o meno”.
Ecco un mondo ove compaiono figure,
sfondi, cornici/contorni dalle composizioni
minuziose, che presentano inestricabili
arabeschi, cellette, triangoli, elementi
geometrici, basilari e compositi, in un’opera
attenta che evidenzia la ricerca di un
percorso che tende alla perfezione, segni di
una profonda ricerca interiore.“Certamente
43
gli ambienti in cui ho vissuto, le persone,
le frequentazioni, i racconti, la curiosità e
probabilmente il mio modo di vedere le cose
hanno contribuito a creare un mio mondo
interiore”. Come si evince dagli ex libris di
Gladys Calvi, Mauro Mainardi, Francesca
Silvestrin, Flora Zoppi, Matteo Zoppi
emerge la figura del gatto,variamente
tratteggiatta e rappresentata, l’animale che
“mi ha sempre più affascinato e ispirato, con la
sua indipendenza, l’eleganza dei movimenti e i
suoi buffi atteggiamenti, il gatto libero e sornione,
intelligente e furbescamente dispettoso”.
I momenti letterari, storici sono illustrati
negli ex libris di Matteo Zoppi dedicati
alla figura di Carlo Bo ed alla figura
44
di San Giorgio mentre quelli di Rauf
Denktas e di Gianni Bonifacci suggeriscono
rispettivamente interesse per l’enologia e
per la filatelia, in quest’ultimo la donna
sorride per avere tra le mani una rarità
filatelica il “Gronchi rosa”. Dalle sue
incisioni, organizzate con armonia in
fantastiche architetture che circondano
ed intelaiano elementi figurativi, ad una
attenta disamina emergono particolari di
elementi derivati da molteplici culture,
reminescenze di antichi tessuti e di
tecniche incisorie dei metalli, quasi un
forziere che ci elargisce immagini che ci
riannodano alle radici del passato e alle
culture internazionalmente intese.
 Opus 18
Matteo Zoppi

La prima volta che mio figlio è stato in

Cina per lavoro mi mandava lunghe
mail raccontandomi le sue disavventure
culinarie.

Non conoscendo il significato degli

Ideogrammi vagava nei supermercati
cercando di decifrare il contenuto delle
confezioni dalle illustrazioni e si trovava
a cucinare misteriose polpette e bizzarri
spaghetti, scelti parcimoniosamente tra i
più economici. Da questa racconti è nata
l’idea di “Alta Cucina”.

Mi trovato in campagna e ho usato quello

che avero a disposizione per realizzare
questa acquaforte, uno scarto di lastra
di zinco lungo e stretto (95x235 mm) che
si è adattato benissimo allo spirito dell’
ex libris dove il gatto si eleva sul cibo
cucinato dandosene una ragione com
un’a astrazione orientale.
Maurizia Marini

45
46
 MAURIZIA MARINI
Maurizia Marini was born in Genoa in 1946,
her mother was from Bologna, her father
from Genoa and her father’s family were
owners for generations of a well-known
pasta factory in Molassana, on the outskirts
of Genoa. “As a child, I was delighted to
be allowed to watch when they got the
pasta ready and enjoyed seeing the big
machines at work. It was like a magic event
in a fairy world. As an only child, perhaps
I was a bit of a loner because I was usually
with the grown-ups but my childhood was
wonderful. I remember large comfortable
houses with a lot of room to play in.
Everybody was ready to take care of me and
my education. They even took me with them
when they went on an errand and while
waiting quietly, I used to look at the world
around me”.
The large house had also a very large and
mysterious garden and after the morning
lessons and the homework in the afternoon,
she used to go into the garden to explore
the outer world up to the “fasce” or as
she says herself “to the olive groves or to
the little laurel thicket with a pond full
of small green frogs. There were also the
‘forbidden places’ where I was not allowed
to go and where of course I did because I
found the thrill of forbidden things. One of
these ‘forbidden places’ was a corner in the
garden where mysterious plants with large
leaves grew; later I learned it was tobacco. In
the summer we went to Ca’ de Richin, into
the country. There, the ‘forbidden place’
was the garret a place I enjoyed so much
every time I could set foot in, because it was
full of old delicious unpredictable things”.
She attended the Liceo Nicolò Barabino in
Genoa specializing in art education. There
she got her degree in 1964 and the same year
she won the first prize for the best drawing
at the “Concorso Nazionale INA-Touring
for Art students in Italy”. Since 2000 she has
attended etching courses at the Accademia
Ligustica in Genoa.
“Without intensive school training, I
strongly believe that artists with good,
natural skills will find it difficult to express
their inner feelings. I’ve never tried to
imitate anybody, rather my inner world has
offered reasons for my work. In the same
way I’ve tried to improve both my technical
and critical abilities”. At first she was averse
to the world of ex libris “because I thought it
difficult to grasp the meaning of an ex libris,
besides my works were usually bigger in
size and a small plate gave me the feeling of
constraint. Little by little I understood the
sense of the work and I could enter its varied
and enjoyable world”.
Etching is her favourite technique but
she says “I’ve never thought a technique
fundamental in art expression, it doesn’t
increase the value of an art work, it’s rather
the other way around”. She defines an ex
libris as “a graphic work which has lost its
original meaning. By now it’s a passion out
of its ancient context. It is only an intellectual
object made just for collectors. For me this is
fine because through it, a refined artistic
expression can survive”.
Maurizia never studies in advance the
composition of a work, she starts from
anywhere continues with texts, and
inscriptions are placed where she thinks
best never restricting the independence
of her taste. Many of her works are
dedicated to family members and homely
places because she doesn’t like to work on
commissions and she says “I’d sooner not
work for clients, only twice I accepted the
work out of friendship and I was lucky
because my imagination agreed with my
47
clients’ taste”. The first ex libris dedicated
to Matteo Zoppi “Luna a Ca’ de Richin”
(Moon at Richin’s) dates back to 2005. It’s
a tribute to owls and night predators who
people the gardens around Ca’ de Richin
the beloved country house of her childhood.
The following ex libris prints are dedicated
to Matteo Zoppi as well and sketch scenes
connected to the earth’s foods, after this
she worked on “Moderation” and “Lefkada
2008” dedicated to nature and music.
48
Some of her works are dedicated to cats,
these are animals she is particularly fond of.
In these works Maurizia Marini sketches the
real word with precise strokes and catches
the subjects in the most expressive moments
of their lives. In following years her graphic
style changed, she could mix figurative
and abstract ideas. Her detailed drawings
incorporate fascinating and sinuous signs,
by her refined hand, seduce us to consider
her works, perhaps discovering her roots,
which reveal her classical background. “I’ve
always been a keen observer of every thing
which surrounds me; objects, forms, shades
lighting effects, anything I can detect. I
watch everything, any artistic expression of
any period makes me curious and I watch it
carefully before deciding if I like it or not”.
We are facing works where a world filled
with a number of figures, backgrounds,
inextricable arabesques and geometric
elements draw our attention to the inner
yearning of the artist in the pursuit of
perfection.“Certainly the people I’ve met,
places I’ve lived, stories I’ve heard, my
curiosity, my way of looking at nature,
everything has helped me in the making
of my inner world”. About the ex libris of
Gladys Calvi, Mauro Mainardi, Francesca
Silvestrin, Flora Zoppi and Matteo Zoppi
where cats are portrayed in different
ways, the artist says: “cats have always
charmed and inspired me because of their
independence and elegance; the grace of
their movements and funny air. Cats are
free, craftily intelligent, mysterious and
cunningly spiteful”.
“Literary moments and historical events
are represented in the ex libris of Matteo
Zoppi dedicated to Carlo Bo and St. George,
while the ones of Rauf Denktas and Gianni
Bonifacci suggest interests for wine making
and stamp collecting respectively. In the
latter case, the woman keeping in her hands
a “Gronchi Rosa” is smiling on account of
its rarity. After a careful examination of
their etchings we find constructions that
appear to be harmoniously
organized framing real and
imaginary elements, discover
suggestions of different
cultures, memories of ancient
patterns and old etching
techniques; her works are
a sort of coffer where we
find images from the past
connecting us with our roots
and different cultures from all
over the world”.
49
Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Maurizia Marini
2005 2008 2010 2011
1 Matteo Zoppi 11 Matteo Zoppi 23 Rotary Club 37 Biblioteca di
Luna a Ca’de Richin Gazza ladra Acqui Terme Bodio Lomnago
[Associazione Il garibaldino Il “Nazionale”
2006
Solsticio d’Estate] Dellacasa 38 Associazione
2 Flora Zoppi
12 Flora Zoppi 24 Flora Zoppi Solstizio d’Estate
I can resist
Campanelle La Festa Le Sirene
everything
13 Biblioteca di [Concorso
except temptation 2012
Bodio Lomnago Sint-Niklaas]
3 Matteo Zoppi 39 Flora Zoppi
Con la cara 25 Associazione
Give us the Ricordi
amichetta Solstizio d’Estate
luxuries of life… 40 Maurizia Marini
14 Flora Zoppi Il Gatto con gli
4 Ferdinando De Gioacchino
Asino Fuffi stivali
Lucia 41 Massimo Battola
26 Maurizia Marini
In hoc signo… 2009 Inferno I
Un po’ per celia...
fere semper vinces 15 Associazione 27 Nicola Ottria 2013
5 Flora Zoppi Solstizio d’Estate Don Quixote 42 Roberta Angiolani
Gatto Piratone Tammuz 28 Francesca Isabetta
16 Associazione Silvestrin
2007
Solsticio d’Estate La Restauratrice
6 Flora Zoppi
Tammuz & Ishtar
Ubi mel, ibi fel
17 Flora Zoppi 2011
7 Flora Zoppi
Come giglio 29 Matteo Zoppi
Lupo di Cappuccetto
fra le spine Carlo Bo
Rosso
18 Matteo Zoppi 30 Vannina Lucini
[Associazone
Alta cucina 150° Unità d’Italia
Solstizio d’Estate]
19 Biblioteca di 31 Giovanna De Bilio
8 Flora Zoppi
Bodio Lomnago Il bar di Giovanna
Cappuccetto Rosso
Il gatto di Galileo 32 Gladys Calvi
[Associazione
20 Città di Romeo
Solsticio d’Estate]
Somma Lombardo 33 Rauf Dentkas
2008 Dalle radici Cipro in Goldoni
9 Flora Zoppi al futuro 34 Mauro Mainardi
Bella Addormentata 21 A. I. E. Dante - Inferno
[Associazione Gatto da biblioteca 35 Gianni Bonifacci
Solsticio d’Estate] Gronchi Rosa
2010 36 Matteo Zoppi
10 Matteo Zoppi
22 Biblioteca San Giorgio e
Moderazione
di Lomazzo il drago
[Associazione
Botticelli [Premio
Solsticio d’Estate]
Contratalla]

All the ex libris by the artist Maurizia Marini are in etching (C3).

50
 Hilary Paynter
An interview by email with MR
What was your background –
your family and upbringing ?
My father was in the navy and we travelled
every couple of years. Although I was born
in Scotland, I lived there for only a few
months and I am generally rootless though
I feel a strong affinity with rocky coastal
areas particularly Scotland, North Devon
and Cornwall. We spent time in China and
Malta when I was growing up which had a
profound affect on me. The moving about
made me aware of different ways of life.
My parents chose to live in the community
rather than in the quarters provided (this
was quite unusual) and this fostered an
interest in other cultures.
How and when did you start in art and
when and why did you decide to be an artist ?
I was always drawing at home but a visit
to a cameo factory in Italy when I was 14
introduced me to carving and sculpture
which became my main subjects at art
school. However, stone carving became
very difficult to pursue when I had a
family and wood engraving took over.
Undoubtedly, stone carving influenced
the way I approached engraving. As often
as possible, I work directly on the block,
shaping the design as I work and relying on
instinct, rather than working out the design
in detail before starting to engrave.
What attracted you to engraving techniques ?  is often little interest in engraving it. When
And why bookplates ?
Most of my work is independent of
commissions and is done because I feel
compelled to do it. I exhibit these prints
in exhibitions. Wood engraving suits
me and I can express ideas and moods
through this medium. In contrast to these
prints, it is very pleasant sometimes to
be given a set of “ingredients” and to
organise them into a satisfactory design
with the constraints imposed by the person
commissioning it. Sometimes bookplates
have been commissioned by friends or
family for a special birthday or anniversary
and the special interests of the intended
recipient have to be teased out which can be
fascinating.
What are your favourite themes?
This is a difficult question because my
work encompasses a huge range of subjects
including landscape and socio-political
comment. Animals are a strong attraction
and a recent commission for ten bookplates
centred around different animals and
birds.
How do you go about designs?
When I am travelling or going for walks, I
take a sketchbook. Some of the independent
engravings have developed in direct
response to dramatic views or fascinating
places. I have an enduring interest in castles
and old stones (eg Skara Brae) and frequently
visit and draw these places. However, if I
have finished a drawing in great detail, there
I intend to make a wood engraving, I make
fairly rudimentary sketches and notes so
that I can work out details of the design back
in the studio when I start work on the block.
51
 Opus 21
“Jack Ashore” was one of my most enjoyable
bookplates and involved a lengthy correspondence
before the details were agreed. “Jack” is a name
given to sailors and these, having been cooped up
at sea, are now enjoying some freedom on shore.

Opus 17
The challenge to include so much lettering and
give equal weight to both names was eventually
resolved this way. The old tree stump with little owl
was the specified object for the bookplate, but a visit to
their house opened up rich possibilities to give scale and
atmosphere to the design.

52
 Hilary Paynter
How would you compare and contrast your
bookplates to your other work ?
With bookplates, there are two main
considerations. The lettering must be
thoughtfully integrated into the design.
I rarely have the lettering as a separate
feature. And the design must incorporate
the essence or ideas of the person for
whom it is intended. I want that person to
be totally pleased with the design. With
these commissions, including bookplates
and illustrations, the design must often be
modified and approved before engraving
can begin but recently it has been a treat to
be allowed a free hand.
What is special about engraving
and printing?
It is possible with wood engraving to
produce the most exquisite detail and a
wide range of tones and textures. I love
the physical aspect and the control needed
to obtain these. There is no other medium
that is so satisfying for me. I want to enjoy a
challenge and resolve new problems rather
than reproduce something I have achieved
before. Printing the block is simply the
end of the engraving process but is also an
exciting and exacting procedure in itself.
What are your current ambitions ?
A year ago, I thought I would be unlikely to
engrave any more bookplates because my
eyesight was deteriorating and my lettering
was getting a bit too “rustic”. However,
Robert Littlewood persuaded me to engrave
a set of bookplates for his family and friends
for a book he was to publish about my
bookplates. I enjoyed engraving these so
much that I then agreed to do three other
bookplates in addition that other people had
requested. As far as the future is concerned,
I always have far more ideas than time and
am currently working on several blocks. I
am anxious not to waste any time.
53
 Opus 35
James had expressed an early interest in bears
but that had been supplanted by Mandrills.

Opus 29
This is first of a series of bookplates based
on animals commissioned by Robert.

54
 Opus 42
Gannets, those voracious sea birds,
commissioned by a bird-watching
friend for his 60th birthday.

Opus 36
This was made for the Australian
artist whose book for children, “The
Gingham Elephant”, inspired this
bookplate. I wanted to suggest a lively,
inventive mind hidden under the
innocent exterior.

55
 Opus 30
Robert Littlewood’s wife as
a leopard with three cubs to
represent their children.

Opus 41
This design is based on an amusing incident
in “Cocktail Time” by P G Woodhouse with
the owners, Andrea and Bob, in the roles of
the protagonists. Woodhouse was known
affectionately as “Plum”, so half the
bookplates were printed in this colour.

All the captions to the illustrated examples of

Hilary Paynter's ex libris are in artist's own words.

56
Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Hilary Paynter
1970
1 Angela Gillham
My first bookplate: the initial
design was better but the
owner thought the head was
too unfriendly and
requested a change.
1975
2 Dr & Mrs Stanley W. Hall
This is based, by their request,
on the Hall of Mirrors,
Versailles.
1982
3 Ruth Brock
Engraved as a present, “Brock”
is the old English name for a
badger.
4 Margaret Walsh “MW”
Engraved as a present for a
friend from a drawing I made
of her.
1983
5 Hilary Paynter
Erotica. This was made because
I wanted to engrave a curtain
fluttering over a nude.
6 A G Bradley
Inspired by Victorian
phrenological heads,
this was engraved for
a psychologist.
7 R J Jeffrey
A surprise present for another
psychologist, this refers to his
war service in Africa and an
interest in birds, canals and
music.
8 Fiona and Mark Hope
This was commissioned by
friends and drawn from their
bedroom window.
All are wood engraving (X2).
1984
9 Paul & Rosina Weaver
Weaver birds commissioned by
a colleague for her relatives in
Australia.
10 Città di Cortona
Designed for a competition but
sadly lost in the post on its
way to Italy.
1985
11 Lars Stolt
"Leda & the Swan" involved an
amusing and lengthy
correspondence following my
initial refusal to base a
bookplate on a painting by
Charles Coypel.
When I wrote that I preferred
something more subtle, he
responded with such gratitude
that I felt obliged to execute it.
1987
12 PEM Paynter &
EVK Paynter
Made for my parents’ golden
wedding anniversary: Phyllis
Eva Marian and Edward
Vivian Kernick Paynter. They
were keen gardeners and there
are 50 different flowers in the
bouquet.
1988
13 Olive Shaw
Inspired by a photograph of
my uncle Jerry Shaw, who was
a pilot in both world wars, this
was for Olive, his widow.
14 Hilary Paynter
The view from my studio in
Richmond was made for an
exhibition in Moscow hosted
by their Society of Bibliophiles,
BOK.
1990
15 William Butler
In 1700, Bill’s namesake had
carved his name on the wall of
a church in Ockley, Surrey. It
had to be made into a bookplate
for him.
1991
16 Benoît Junod
Benoît wrote saying that he
wanted something that would
make old ladies faint! I assured
him from my experience that
old ladies were generally more
broadminded than young men.
It was great fun to engrave.
1992
17 Alison Douglas and
John Edwards
The challenge to include so much
lettering and give equal weight
to both names was eventually
resolved this way.
The old tree stump with little
owl was the specified object for
the bookplate, but a visit to their
house opened up rich
possibilities to give scale and
atmosphere to the design.
18 Vivian George
A present for my sister,
the fox theme was the subject
for a bookplate competition.
1995
19 Ronald Beresford
Commissioned by wood
engraving enthusiasts, the
design is based around the
name of their house, “Rosebank”.
57
 1995
20 Fletcher Robinson
This was a very tough
commission because the details
had to be accurate and gave
little opportunity for freedom
in the engraving. Remember
that, unlike etching where the
drawn line carries the ink, with
wood engraving everything is
cut away that is not needed
in the design.
The flies and line at the top
really tested my skills.
1996
21 Graham Read
“Jack Ashore” was one of the
most enjoyable commissions and
involved a lengthy correspondence
before the details were agreed.
“Jack” is a name given to sailors
and these, having been cooped
up at sea, are now enjoying
some freedom on shore.
1997
22 Benoît Junod
My second bookplate for Benoît
was a commemorative design
for the library bequeathed to
him by his godmother.
1998
23 The Royal Entomological
Society
This was commissioned for
inserting in books that had been
donated or presented to the
Society. They were very proud
of the building, particularly the
ceilings so these were
incorporated into the design
together with insects
representing Strength, Beauty
and Industry.
2002
24 Brian North Lee
Designed for a friend who loved
Malham Cove. 34 James R. Littlewood
58
2003
25 Annabel Johnston
A view from a cottage in Wales
with references to particular
interests.
26 Robert David Illingworth
This is one of my own favourite
bookpiles with Michelangelo’s
David at the centre and other
interests arranged around.
2005
27 Barbara McNaught
A surprise present
commissioned by a friend, this
includes a wide range of
interests.
2007
28 Robert Littlewood
Robert Littlewood requested a
design based on my engraving
“The Victorians’ fear of the
Cerne Abbas Giant” –
a prehistoric chalk carving on a
hill near Dorchester.
His wife was engraved from
photographs.
2012
29 Robert Littlewood
This is first of a series of
bookplates based on animals
commissioned by Robert.
30 Katherine Littlewood
Robert Littlewood’s wife as a
leopard with three cubs to
represent their children.
31 Caitlin E. Littlewood
This first design of a unicorn
did not satisfy me but was
preferred by others!
32 Caitlin E. Littlewood
My second design for Caitlin
had the unicorn dancing
through the sky.
33 Marcus J. Littlewood
Marcus is a party animal
enjoying his time at university,
slightly out of control, a joker.
A boy in a bumblebee costume.
2012
35 James P. Keenan
James had expressed an early
interest in bears but that had
been supplanted by Mandrills.
36 Geoffrey Ricardo
This was made for the
Australian artist whose book
for children, “The Gingham
Elephant”, inspired this
bookplate.
I wanted to suggest a lively,
inventive mind hidden under
the innocent exterior.
37 Pamela Irving
A sulphur-crested cockatoo
which might just escape the
cage…
38 John Lush
John Lush expressed an interest
in Gorillas which led me to
King Kong and an opportunity
to incorporate the lettering in
windows of a skyscraper.
39 David Frazer
David Frazer is a great engraver
and this is my homage, except
that I misspelled his name and
had to substitute the “s” for a
“z”. His Jack Russell dog rides
the flying spitsticker.
40 Ed Jewell
Commissioned by Ed Jewell
from Australia, and including
a mermaid – one of his
enduring motifs.
41 Bob Rains & Andrea Jacobsen
This design is based on an
amusing incident in “Cocktail
Time” by P G Woodhouse with
the owners, Andrea and Bob, in
the rôles of the protagonists.
Woodhouse was known
affectionately as “Plum”, so
half the bookplates were printed
in this colour.
42 Duncan Hatcher
Gannets, those voracious sea
birds, commissioned by a
bird-watching friend for his
60th birthday.
 H. MÜJDE AYAN
The artist tells us about herself
I was born in 1972 at Ankara, Turkey and
completed my undergraduate studies at
the Marmara University, Ataturk Faculty
of Education, Department of Art Teaching,
Graphics Division, in 1995. I pursued
graduate studies at the Graphics Division
at the Marmara University Institute of
Social Sciences in 1998 and postgraduate
studies at the Marmara University, Institute
of Educational Sciences, Department of
Art Teaching, in 2007. I now lead an
academic life as an associate professor at
the Marmara University, Ataturk Faculty
of Education, Department of Fine Arts,
Education Art Teaching Division. In
addition to my personal exhibitions, I have
participated in national and international
group exhibitions, symposia, workshops,
and biennials. I have sixteen awards for
painting and printmaking. Four of these
awards were received in international ex
libris competitions (1st International Ankara
Ex Libris Society Competition, Ankara,
2003; International Ex libris Competition
of Multiart Club “Bicycle”, Belgrade, 2004;
1 st FISAE International Digital Printing
Ex libris Competition, Switzerland, 2004;
2nd International Ankara Ex libris Society
Competition, Ankara, 2007.
I am continuing my artistic studies in
Istanbul as a member of the Istanbul Ex
libris Society and International Association
of Arts ( a+A ). I discovered the world of ex
libris around the year 2000. Thanks to the
dialogue between me and Professor Hasip
Pektaş, I experienced the art of the ex libris
on an international scale. As a result, I was
able to meet Professor Martin Baeyens,
who visited Turkey and conducted several
practical workshops. A research leave for a
month at the Gent Hogeschool in Belgium
upon the invitation of Baeyans strengthened
our friendship and paved the way for future
joint activities. Of special importance to me
was participation as the third and junior
academician in the workshops, seminars,
and exhibitions organized by Professors
59
60
Pektaş and Bayaens between 2003 and 2008
to enhance the popularity of the art of the ex H. Müjde Ayan
libris in the universities of Turkey and the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. My
interest in the art of ex libris and the works I
have produced as a printmaker demonstrate
strong Turkish and international artistic
influence. I learned that the art of ex libris,
whose dimensions are small but spirit is
great, has opened a new page in my life.

Generally the themes of nature, human

existence, and life dominate in my works.
Technically I mostly use serigraphy, woodcut,
and digital printing methods. Some of my
approximately fifty ex libris have been
produced for clients on commission. The
works I designed for collectors and ex-libris
journals in Belgium and the Netherlands
are of great importance to me. I would
like to take this opportunity to thank Piet
Meijers and Luc Van den Briele, who wrote
articles to introduce and support my studies,
respectively: ExibrisWereld (October 2007)
and Boekmerk (March 2000, March 2003, and
October 2003).

H. Müjde Ayan

61
62
63
64
Chronological
checklist of
ex libris by
H. Müjde Ayan
2000
1 Hasan Pekmezci X3
Sea Port
2 Luc Van den Briele X3
Sea Port

2001
3 Hasip Pektaş X2
Boat
4 H.Müjde Ayan X3
Birds
5 Martin R.Baeyens S1
Hıdırellez

2002
6 Beethoven X3
Music
7 Salih Zeki Ayan X3
Violin
8 Basri Erdem S1
Poppy
9 Ramiz Aydın S1
Abstraction from Nature
10 Ayla Ersoy S1
Abstraction from Nature
11 Ali Candaş S1
Abstraction from Nature
12 Zafer Gençaydın S1
Gypys

2003
13 İsmail Avcı X3
Rocks
14 Erol Özden X3 + S1
Autumn
1 5 Miets Meulemans S1
Hedgehog
16 Sami Karaören S1
Wisdom
17 Hatice Bengisu S1
Butterfly

2004
18 Bünyamin Özgültekin S1
Bicycle
19 Piet Meijers S1
Abstraction from Nature
20 Senih Çavuşoğlu X3
Flowers in Vase

65
 2004
21 Luc Van den Briele CGD
Relaxation
2 2 Süleyman Saim Tekcan CGD
Seaside
2 3 H. Müjde Ayan CGD
Genetic Transformation
2 4 Judith Ann Helena Sigrits CGD
The Woman with Accordion
2 5 Jan de Joncheere CGD
Captured

2005
26 Danny Denayer S1
Peace

2006
27 Exlibriswereld Magazine X2 + S1
Abstraction from Nature
28 W. Van Gysel S1
Abstraction from Nature
29 Kadir Karkın CGD
Abstraction from Nature

2007
30 Piet Meijers S1
Spring in Turkey
31 Ayla Oktay S1
Abstraction from Nature
32 Handan Ayan CGD
Existence
3 3 H. Müjde Ayan CGD
Abstraction from Nature

2008
34 Alemdar Yalçın CGD
The Power of Thought
35 Martin R.Baeyens CGD
Far Away
3 6 Levon Bağış CGD
Lighthouse
3 7 İlbilge Saldamlı CGD
Abstraction from Nature

2009
38 Necla Pur CGD
Orchid
3 9 Yıldız Doyran CGD
Abstraction from Nature
4 0 Sezgi Çınar CGD
Book
4 1 Cenap Tezer CGD
Abstraction from Nature
4 2 Hayriye Ayan CGD
Abstraction from Nature

2011
43 Georges Dumon S1
Music

66
 SIMILARITY WOODCUT

MARZANNA MUCHA
Rajmund Aszkowski
Marzanna Mucha was born in Tomaszów
Lubelski (East of Poland). She finished
higher education in Fine Arts (painting
her specialisiation) at the Maria Curie-
Sklodowska’s Institute of Artistic Education
in Lublin in 1984.  In 1986-1990 she studied
art history and German language in Vienna.
She worked there on the conservation of
paintings in the studio of Leszek Piasecki
— a disciple of Wojciech Kossak, and on

Marzanna Mucha

paintings in King John III Sobieski Chapel at

the St. Joseph Church (Kahlenberg, Vienna).
At same time, she took part in exhibitions
at the Polish Institute in Vienna (1989) and
in the Art Gallery in Innsbruck (1990). After
her return to Poland she gave herself to the
passion of pedagogy, educating new artists
in Tomaszów Mazowiecki.

Her greatest love is easel paintings, painting

on silk, ex libris, pastel and drawing. Apart
from the arts, she adores traveling through
the steps of ancient civilizations. What

67
dominates her works is still life, landscapes
and portrait. She takes inspirations from
fairy-tale gardens, but often refers to the
omnipresent secession in Vienna. She
participated in exhibitions and competitions
in Poland and elsewhere. She has won
numerous honorable mentions and awards
for her ex libris works.
Marzanna Mucha creates ex libris in
the linocut technique (X3) achieving the
sophisticated shape of the line similar to
woodcut. In the ex libris for a Public Library
of the City of Warsaw she illustrated the
element of architecture—gate with the
crest, and in the bookplate with the eagle
(symbolizing the emblem of Poland), raising
the open book in its talons.
The artist showed the beauty of the
region where she lives (Lubelszczyzna) —
68
borderlands of three religions (Catholicism,
Eastern Orthodox Church and Judaism) — in
the work dedicated to Adusia Bednarczyk.
Marzanna Mucha also presented the old
Polish stronghold in Kamieniec Podolski
in the plate for Agnieszka Litka. How is it
possible to resist the charm of distant times?
Great Poles – writer Czesław Milosz (literary
Nobel Prize winner) and Frédéric Chopin
seem to look at recipients to encourage the
listener to music.
All the ex libris made by the Polish artist Marzanna
Mucha are linocut (X3). Linocut is a printmaking
technique, a variant of woodcut, from a design
carved in relief into a block of linoleum.
69
Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Marzanna Mucha

1996 2004 2010

1 Marzanny Mucha 8 Romana Muchy 14 M. (Marzanny) Muchy
Ancient theme Tomaszów: Frédéric Chopin
A city of Poland
1997 9 Marzanny Muchy 2011
2/4 Biblioteki Publicznej A church of Tomaszów 15 Adusi B. (Bednarczyk)
Miasta Stolecznego Czeslaw Milosz
Warszawy 2006 [The Nobel Prize for
Torch / Gate / Eagle 10 Tipoteca Italiana Literature – 1980]

2001 2008
5 Danuty Muchy 11 Anki Kowalewskiej

2002 2009
6 Marzanny Muchy 12 Agnieszki Litki
Stained glass woman Triptych
7 Adusi B. (Bednarczyk) 13 Agnieszki Litki
Tomaszów: Fortress
A city of Poland

70
 BAI YIRU
Huang Xiangong

At first, Mrs. Bai Yiru is a New Year pictures
artist. China’s traditional New Year pictures
is a rich treasure of folk culture, and its subject
matter has a wide range of civil themes.
Bai Yiru has worked and lived for more
than thirty years in Shandong and Tianjin
where New Year pictures were popular in
the history. She started to make ex libris in
1984. She absorbed the New Year pictures
spirit of exploration and research in her
ex libris designs. Especially her decades of
accumulated experience with the techniques
of creative New Year themes concentrated
to converge on ex libris. Formed with a
strong ethnic flavor, folk culture, and unique
personal creative style.
She is a unique ex libris artist in China.
Deeply loved by Chinese and foreign
bookplate collectors. She won the gold

Opus 82
An old saying is: "the wealthy do not have to buy farmland, for book
holds thousands of millet. Housing not need to frame the beam, for the
book contains a house of gold. Marry not to hate a bad matchmaker, for
the book contains beautiful women”, plus by the author: "man does not
need to flatter power and wealth, for in books one shares the
honor of the Road".

71
 Opus 120
Depicts the characteristics of shadow play, the integration of the
two forms of folk art, shadow puppets on the table,
the emergence of new street plays; this makes
the ex libris spectacular and amusing.

medal more than once in National Exlibris
Exhibition. Maybe she is the first one who
make a New Year ex libris theme. In her view,
“A successful bookplate is a complete work
of art, it’s concentrated and refined more than
the typical New Year pictures. The ex libris
production process is to the study of folk art”.
Bai Yiru’s ex libris incorporate many aspects
of Chinese folk art, including folk drama,
folk dance, folk tales, shadow play, clay
sculpture, paintings, etc. Her art also includes
her artistic concepts practice experience
and artistic heritage. Her works are mostly
character-based and do not simply a copy
the traditional image of New Year pictures
theme. Instead, the main characters represent
books, rooted in folk. She reveals the meaning
of life, reproductions and attitudes. The
form of expression in the works represent
appropriate matter.
Bai Yiru’s work is based on the New Year
theme, and goes beyond the New Year
motif. Her images present the traditional
enterprising spirit of the era advocating
folk culture and innovation. The old folk
pop culture is not lost because it’s old
and traditional modernity; fashion is not
excluded either. In Bai’s work, mostly are
women and children. These figures not only
highlight her aesthetic taste, but also reflects
the feelings of the artist’s life. The work of
the people unite in her interpretation and life
experience. Her artwork reveals the passion,
warmth and sympathy of the world.
Editor and Translator: Hua Shaoying

72
 Bai Yiru

BAI YIRU
Curriculum vitae

Bai Yiru was born in December 1932 in
Beijing, China. In 1953 she graduated from
the China Academy of Fine Arts Painting
Department, then went on to work in the
Shandong Federation of Literary and Art
Studio. In 1964 she worked in the Shandong
Artist Association and in 1973 worked
in Shandong Province Liaocheng City
Propaganda station. In 1977 she worked in
Shandong Normal University, Department
of Fine Arts, and in 1980 work in Tianjin Art
Institute National level artist, member of
China Artist Association.
published 26 of them, 6 of them can now be
seen in the China Art Museum’s permanent
collection. In 1985 “Selected Children’s
Image” was published by Shandong People’s
Fine Arts Publishing House, and in 1986
published “New Year Line Drawing Set”.
Bai Yiru has created ex libris since 1984 and
has made 134 ex libris to date. She participated
in the 23rd and 28th FISAE exhibitions, and the
1st, 9th , 11th and 12th China Exlibris Exhibition.

She is member of China Exlibris Association,

enjoying special government allowances and
created more than 40 New Year paintings,

73
 Opus 97
Dragon kite more than a dozen
feet long ascends skyward,
winds toss and turn, magnificent,
very spectacular. Designed for
the Year of the Dragon in 2000.

Opus 109
China’s folk god "Kui spirit”, the gradual
evolution of a ghost with red hair and a blue face,
one hand holds a bucket and other hand holds a
writing brush. The ancient scholar with its pen
will be able to come first in the exam.

74
 Opus 95
Based on folk tales.

Opus 103
A children´s game, the hands of two
children, a string, with which one can
perform many tricks.

75
 Opus 107
The fifteenth day of the Lantern Festival; every household
to hang a red lantern.

Opus 114
This drama is chosen because it is
not a true story. The Bao does not
inspire Justice, but is sympathetic
to the people, justice, ordinary
people, from God to the people,
the embodiment of justice.

76
 Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Bai Yiru
All the ex libris made by the Chinese artist Bai Yiru
are engraved in woodcut (X1), and in this checklist only are published the themes of each ex libris.

1984 1991 1995 1997

1-5 Five kinds 30 Su San 63 Mouse Marries 87 Hong Kong’s
of shadow 31 Pig shoes its Daughter return
puppets 32 Rabbit shoes 64 Horseback 88 Pigs eat
head stubble 33 Young monk reading watermelon
34 House of gold 65 Water diffuse 89 Monkey
1985 35 Buddha Jinshan prop Peach
6 Double-headed 66 Ghost buster 90 Goldfish
horse 1992 67 Qin Xianglian pond full of
7 Cloth frog 3 6-39 Black mud 68 Mani List
8 Cloth pig horses, birds, 1998
snakes, fish 1996 91 Tiger and
1986 40 Black mud pig 69 Yuan Chang pomegranate
9 Fish plate 41 Black mud sheep collection 92 Good luck
10-13 Four kinds 42 Dragon Boat 70 Voluminous 93 Shared Reading
of mud toys 43 Three Monks 71 Li Yian 94 Tiger Shield
44 Snake rabbit 72 Blowing pan 95 Music female
1987
73 Flutter butterfly 96 Lute
14-15 Mission Doll 1993 74 Pick a basket
16 Tent baby 45 The Joy 1999
of flowers
17 Mussels child of Reading 97 Dragon Kite
75 Image of
46 Xuan window Ding Ling 98 Moon rabbit
1989
Ladies 76 Lin family shop
18 Baikal 2000
47 Elephant ride 77 Injury death
19 Takefu 99 Young inventor
Bodhisattva 78 Early Spring
20 Fan female 100 Macao’s return
48-51
Four kinds in February
of Ladies 101 New bag
1990 79 Blessing
21 Bao catch up 80 Big red dates 2001
1994
donkey 1 02 Apply for the
52 Elephant ride 1997
22 Ran donkey Olympics
Bodhisattva 81 Auspicious
23 Play HanChuan including me
53 Hello old sheep 82 Encouraging
24 Clam fine 103 Turned cotton
54 Knife baby Learning
25 Pig Wife 104 Green Snake
55 Fisheries mother 83 Pictures of the
26-27 The folk toy 105 Huanghua
56 Zhuzhu tiger pillow
lion baby, night festival
57 Small 84 New Year
tiger baby 2 106 Large fruit
gatehouse pictures
28-29 Folk New Year 107 Lantern Festival
58 Sea crossing rabbit lamp
pictures 108 Oxen
Guanyin 85 New Year
Lion baby, 109 Kui Star
59 Firefly pictures
tiger baby 2 110 Difficult is
60 Celebrate peach cattle
61 Down tiger going to fly
86 New Year
62 Old birthday pictures chicken

77
 2002
111 Hope
112 Hand in Hand

2003
113 Butterfly Cup

2006
114 Baogong
mule driver
115 Dragon Gate
116 Picking Lotus
117 Flutter butterfly
118 Palm-leaf fan
119 Monkey cub
120 Play lantern
121 Take-off
122 Sub-peach
Figure
123 Dragon Ball

2007
124 Pig Wife
125 Mu Guiyng
126 Play HanChuan
Opus 92
2008
Reduced New Year painting: the cloth toy “chicken” is a homonym
1 27 Auspicious fish
of “lucky”, the basket from which money is hanging represents a
128 Fragrant tea
symbol of the hope of the people for life.
129 Fifteenth day of
the first month

2009
1 30 Good luck in
the year of tiger

2010
131 Steal Dianthera

2011
132 Spring Ox

2012
133 Dongfang Shuo
steal peach
134 Sweet smell
of pancakes

Opus 93
This work was entered in the 1998 Seventh National Exlibris Exhibition
and received the Gold Prize.
78
 MARINA TERAUDS
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
I was born in Russia, Siberia, near Lake
Baikal. My first memories: long dark cold
winters, snow, stars, frozen milk, and very
hot, short bright summers, huge yellow and
orange wildflowers – fields full of them.
Since then I don’t like snow. But I love the
starry sky; constellations and orange-yellow
color. When I was 8, my family returned to
Latvia on the coast of the Baltic Sea, where
I studied and spent the main part of my life.
My parents were not connected to arts in
any way, but they both liked to draw, and
in the mornings I could often find delightful
surprises in my pad; drawings that my mom
and dad made for me while I was sleeping.
We always had a lot of books at home, and
my favorites were books with pen and ink
drawings, old engravings, Gustave Doré and
Ivan Bilibin’s illustrations. I always liked
to draw more than painting, I liked to use
one-two colors and to make very detailed
images. At age of 12, I went to J. Rozental’s
Art School, where kids from 6th to 12th grade
studied painting, drawing, composition,
and art history along with regular school
subjects. It was there, in this school, where
79
I choose to become a printmaker and made
my first linocuts and book illustrations. After
the school, I entered the Graphic Department
at the Latvian State Academy of Arts and
in 6 years, in 1986, got my Master degree in
printmaking with a major in intaglio under
Prof. G. Krollis and Prof. P. Upitis. In 1997, I
completed my studies at the Pedagogy and
Psychology Department of Latvian State
University and received my second Master
degree in Art Education.
In Latvia, I taught art and art history in school
and college, worked as an artist-animator
for a film studio, and illustrated about 20
books, mostly fairy tales. Since the early 80’s,
I participated in numerous solo and group
80
exhibits around the world and received many
awards and prizes. I moved to Michigan in
2000, where I set up a printmaking studio
and work as a self employed artist.
About my art and ex libris:
My main technique is intaglio. I studied
linocut, woodcut, wood engraving, and
stone lithography; I love them all, but
I majored in intaglio. This is the most
mysterious, unexpected, and complicated
printmaking technique. I work in etching,
aquatint, dry point and mezzotint, and often
combine some of them, or sometimes, all of
them, on one plate, creating a multilayered
complicated surface. I love the element

of mystery in printmaking: it is always
a surprise. I have spent 30 years near an
etching press and usually can predict the
result before pulling the first proof, but I still
feel excited and surprised every time. Also, I
love the possibility of creating very different
prints from the same plate using different
colors, different ways of inking and wiping.
My main inspiration is nature: everything
starts there and everything comes from there.
Marina Terauds
I make a lot of nature studies, field notes and
drawings of birds, bugs, plants, seeds and
trees. I incorporate these into my intaglio
plates in form of nature studies or allegorical
and symbolic compositions. Also, I’ve always
been very influenced by mythology, legends,
fairy tales and folklore. My favorite artists
are Albin Brunovsky, a Slovakian etcher,
and Maria Sibylla Merian, a naturalist and
scientific illustrator. Also I love illuminated
manuscripts.
81
82
Ex libris is an important part of my art life. I
created my first ex libris in 1981. Today, my
opus list is close to 200 ex libris pieces. I love
this form of art due to its small size, which
asks for special attention to details (detail is
my addiction). I also like the connection to
a particular person (or establishment) and
finding the way to show this connection
visually. Not many people use ex libris for
its real purpose: to glue into a book to make
an ownership, and even smaller amount of
people order an edition of original ex libris
prints from an artist. It is not a sign of the era
of e-books or paperbacks, for my opinion.
It was always this way. Ex libris is more
popular in Europe. Here, in USA, people are
not familiar with this form of art very well. I
am trying to educate people about ex libris
at the art exhibits, demonstrate at schools,
and through my website and blog. Every 3-4
month I create an ex libris for the winner of
a “giveaway” drawing at my website. So far,
I have completed 5 bookplates through this
promotion, and the 6th one is on the way.
Marina Terauds
83
84
85
86
 Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Marina Terauds

1981 1988 1993 1995

1 Elena Gudkova 3 1 Janis Bertrands 65 Jonas Purlys 97 Publichnej
2 ZD 32 Lolita Adminis 66 Jonas Purlys Biblioteki
[Zinovjevs 67 Regina w Chrzanowie
Dmitrijs] 1989 68 Sonija Brijs 98 Valancius – 195
3 Bronislavs 3 3 Pardubice – 650 69 Jonas Purlys 99 Mariam
Jakubovs 34 Pardubice - 650 70 Giedre Leshkite Maksutova
4 Natalija 35 M. Bogdanovic 71 Jonas Purlys 100 Willy Feliers
Zubareva 36 Backapova M. 72 Stase Medyte
5 Antonijs 73 Jonas Juodelis 1996
1990 101 Dr. Alfred Nowak
Marhels
3 7 Marija Gangus 1994 102 Algis Klisevichius
7 Valentina
38 H. Erte 7 4 Jonas Purlys 103 Ingrid Miram
Lebedeva
39 Maksutovih 75 Tamara 104 Marianne French
8 Elena
40 Henryk Kalibataite 105 Dr. Stanislaw
9 Andris
Stopikovski 76 Algis Uzdila Czarnecki
10 Chernobelski
41 Vincas Grybas 77 Liudas Sagys 106 Kopalnia Soli
Book
42 Justas Paleckis 78 Jozef Tadeusz 107 Mariam
11 MH
12 HM Czosnyka Maksutova
1991
13 Nina 79 Sport Club 108 Ilona Gargajina
4 3 Maria Fissi
Ovchinnikova Sparta 109 Janis Anspaks
44 Faustas Kirsha
14 Baiba Ozola 80 Eliza Ramut 110 Dr. Jean- François
46 Romas Jurelionis
15 Akatova 81 Prof. Anton Chassaing
16 Baiba Ozola 1992 Naghiu 111 Ludmila Mezins
17 O Donskaja 4 7 Villa D’Este 82 A. R. Shakalys 112 Astrid Junge
18 Maija Ozola 48 Biblioteka 83 Juozas Rimkus 113 Lietuvos
Skaudvile 84 Tatiana Gelezinkeliu
1982 49 Sv. Kryziaus Simanaitiene Tehnikos
1 9 Dr. Livsics Baznicia 85 Dmitrijs Biblioteka
20 Dr. Glozman 50 Sv. Jonu Zinovjevs 114 Silvestras
21 Faina Rabushko Baznicia 86 Gisela Novak Grinkevicius
22 [Unknown] 51 Jonas Purlys 115 Janiny Saffarini
23 Marianna 1995 116 Catechismus-450
52 Aija Nodieva
Bolshakova 8 7 Ovidiu Petca 117 Michel Butor
53 Vidunas – 125
24 Ereminih 88 Ovidiu Petca 118 Museum
54 Giedre Leshkite
25 N. Getman 89 Stasys Mecius Henryka
1993 90 Benita Sienkievicza
1983 5 5 Shilute Teatras Hofermann 119 Friedhelm
2 6 Velta 56 J. Zahvatovich 91 Ciurlionis – 120 Hofermann
27 Karina 57 Henryk 92 Ciurlionis – 120 120 Benita
28 Natalija Stopikovski 93 Ciurlionis – 120 Hofermann
Shpontaka 58 W. Krassowski 94 Ciurlionis – 120
29 Ralf Vulis 59 Jonas Purlys 95 Mejska 1997
60 Jonas Purlys Biblioteka 121 Biblioteka
1986 Publichna Publiczna
61 Jonas Purlys
30 Andrej Zabigailo w Gliwicah w Warzawy
62 Anny Lisak
63 Darius ir Girenas 96 Benita & 122 I. Pshenin
64 Vitauto Didziojo Friedhelm Joker
Hofermann
87
 1997 2002 2005 2011
123 Stase Judickiene 146 Wouter 163 Ilya Ubenzon 1 79 Pamela
124 J. Paukstelio van Gysel Nostalgia D. Hamilton
Vid. Mokykla Sentimental Dream
125 Remo Palmirani Voyage 2006 180 Kalvis Terauds
126 Miejska Biblioteka 147 Edwin Smits 1 64 Nina Allen Sea Heart
Publiczna Mystery Thousand and 181 Biblioteka
w Gliwicach of Venice One Nights Bodio Lomnago
127 Spartaco Cadioli 148 Kalli Halpern 165 Jill Miner
128 Spartaco Cadioli Aphrodite Books and Hats 2012
149 A. M. da Mota 166 Mariam 1 82 Caroline Olin
1998 Miranda Maksutova Owl Heart
129 Sandro Piccardo Aphrodite Four Elements – 183 Angie Del Llano
St. George Water Lepidopterist
130 Henri Hanlet 2003 Heart
1 50 Guntis Terauds 2007 184 Dean Churchill
1999 The Kidnapping 1 67 Nannan Wang Colson
131 Uldis Terauds of Europa Sphinx 185 Uldis Terauds
Rose 151 Comune di Varese 168 Chewonki Victorian House
132 Uldis Terauds 152 Uldis Terauds Nature Book Heart
Balloons Flying World 186 JoAnn
133 Biblioteka 2009
153 Deborah Lee Pari-Mueller
Zola Predosa 1 69 Yuri Lebedev
Fairy Land Transformation
134 Marina Stappen Illuminated
154 Serik 187 Robin Lynn
Aphrodite Heart
Kulmeshkenov Wallace
135 Marina Stappen 170 Valentina
Butterfly Beekeeper
Aphrodite Lebedeva
155 Yu Xin Gang Heart
Gardener Heart
Rose 188 Marlo
2000 171 Marina Terauds
Orlovich Perry
136 Marina Stappen 2004 Birdwatcher
Hummingbird
Shakespeare 1 56 Paul Miller Heart
Heart
137 Aleksandr Zukov Theatre 172 Nikki Alexander
189 Jessica Velez
138 Vishinsky 157 James R. Keenan Spring
Rios
139 Witold Banach Sun & Moon
2010 Raven’s Heart
Chopiniana 158 JoAnn
1 73 JoAnn 190 J & L
140 Marina Stappen Pari-Mueller
Pari-Mueller Adam & Eve
Hamlet Collector’s
The Collector
Cabinet
2001 174 Sara Dinyari
141 Pierre Séjournant 2005 Entomologist
Card House 1 59 JoAnn Heart
142 Uldis Terauds Pari-Mueller 175 Damir Maksutov
Bacchus Collector’s Herpetologist
143 James R. & Cabinet Heart
Linda L. Walters 160 S. G. 176 Uldis Terauds
144 Centre Culturel Sphinx Robin Moth
Français de 161 Annette 177 Uldis Terauds
Belgrade Chimera Owl Moth
162 José Vicente 178 Uldis Terauds
2002 Death’s Head
de Bragança
1 45 Wouter Hawk Moth
The Kidnapping
van Gysel
of Europa
Sentimental
Voyage

88
 À la recherche de la lumière par
HÉLÈNE NUÉ
Rencontre avec un graveur au burin enchanté
Jean-François Chassaing
Président de l’A. F. C. E. L.
Hélène Nué est une artiste établie dans la
région Nantaise au milieu des vignes du
Muscadet Nantes Sud, direction Vertou par
la départementale. On arrive au hameau de
Bon Acquêt. Là, près de l’étang qui jouxte la
propriété, Hélène Nué nous accueille. D’un
sourire bienveillant elle nous guide vers un
bâtiment de vieilles pierres où s’entremêlent
vigne vierge et hortensias en boutons.
Le calme est étonnant, quelques rouges-
gorges virevoltent dans les arbres. Sans
aucun doute, ce lieu semble très «habité».
«C’est une vieille chapelle que nous avons
restaurée, j’en ai fait mon atelier, entrez ... ». En
passant la porte que précède une ancienne
cloche chargée de sonner les offices, on
découvre une pièce toute en rondeurs,
ouverte par deux larges fenêtres sur une
nature que l’on devine d’emblée très présente
dans la vie et l’œuvre de notre artiste. Sous-
bois, Piège, Petite Jungle ... les gravures
animent les vieux murs, tout comme ce
fabuleux Solitaire, gravure travaillée à
l’acide et au burin, arbre majestueux, qui,
puisant ses forces dans les racines du temps
semble flotter dans les brumes de l’instant, à
l’image de leur auteur ?
Interview de Hélène Nué par Sylvie Schur en
mai 2006 dans le Magazine n° 13 du Géant des
Beaux-arts – Rubrique «Artistes».
Née à Martignas-sur-Jalles, dans le Bordelais,
Hélène Nué a en effet longtemps «préparé»
son entrée dans la gravure. Ce n’est qu’à l’âge
de trente ans qu’elle se lance. Après avoir
89
appris les techniques de base à l’Atelier de la
Main d’Or, elle suit son propre chemin, avec
une prédilection pour la technique réputée
la plus difficile : celle du burin. Participant à
des concours d’ex-libris, elle se fait peu à peu
connaître et travaille pour des collectionneurs,
des bibliophiles et des cercles de bibliophilie.
Elle illustre de nombreux livres, notamment
au Carré d’Art et aux Bibliophiles de France

(La Bonne Chanson de Paul Verlaine, les

Poésies d’Arthur Rimbaud, les Trois Nouvelles
Orientales de Marguerite Yourcenar, Torchères
d’Hervé Bazin ...). Elle reçoit de nombreuses
distinctions : Prix Art Actuel, Prix du Salon
des Artistes Français, Prix Taylor... et expose
régulièrement en France et à l’étranger. Sa
dernière création : une œuvre collective
avec des artistes graveurs de grand talent tel
Mikio Watanabe, intitulée «De la vie à la vie,
accouplements minuscules» (voir sur son blog).

Hélène se consacre exclusivement à ce mode

d’expression pour des créations libres, des
illustrations d’ouvrages de bibliophilie et

90
 Hélène Nué

pour la réalisation d’ex libris. Elle excelle début 2011, à la Triennale de gravure de Lorient.
dans l’interprétation des sensibilités et des Invitée d’honneur au Premier Salon de
personnalités de ceux qui lui confient la Gravure de Saint Hilaire de Riez. Prix de
création d’un ex libris afin de les traduire l’Académie des Beaux Arts (plusieurs années),
au mieux sur quelques centimètres carrés Prix Paul Gonnand à la Fondation Taylor.
et ce n’est pas toujours facile de concentrer Médaille d’honneur au Salon des Artistes
en une petite vignette la totalité des desirata Français.
exprimés.
Ne nous y trompons pas, Hélène a encore
Dans ses gravures, Hélène  propose une sous son patient burin une multitude de
interprétation de la nature familière, fabuleuses histoires à nous raconter.
transformée au gré de ses rêveries. La
gravure au burin est le choix de la lenteur, de
la réflexion, de l’évasion; avec des moments
de concentration mais aussi de plaisir à laisser
l’outil, creusant ou éraflant, tracer librement
son chemin.

Hélène Nué est lauréate de plusieurs prix et

distinctions: invitée d’honneur, en décembre
2011, au Salon National des Beaux arts,
Carousel du Louvre, Paris. Invitée d’honneur,

91
92
93
94
 Liste chronologique des ex-libris gravés par
Hélène Nué
1986 1988 1990 1993
1 Hayem-Plaud 18 Christiane Minala 3 3 Gernot Blum 4 8 Jean-François
Musique Arbres et livre Neurones Chassaing
2 Jacques Pierre 19 Jeanne Rasdolsky 34 Jef Arras Livre et femme
Musique Musique Gorgones 49 Walter
3 Yannick Nué 35 Maryse et Nicolas Humplstötter
Arts 1989 Séjournant Méduse
4 Jean-Claude Klein 20 Alain Pillant Chat, planche à 50 Gernot Blum
Médecine Le temps voile, couple, Ruines et arbres
5 Sibylle Pierre 21 Ali Ria Vogel rochers 51 Lars C. Stolt
Cartes de Waal 36 Pierre Séjournant Leda
6 Thierry Scart Phénix Phare 52 Eugène Ney
Arbre 22 André 37 Germaime Arbre
Vercammen Meyer-Noirel 53 Pierre Roller
1987 Scorpion et verre Fontaine Chat
7 Setificio Como 23 Hélène Nué 38 Jeanne Rasdolsky
Tissu Boule éclatée 1994
Concours: Éros
8 Hélène Nué 24 Jean-Marcel 54 Pierre
39 Marie-Rose
Silhouettes Bertrand Séjournant
Theunis
9 Françoise Loussert Orgues et eau Naissance
Concours: Éros
Mains 25 Serge Benoît de Gargantua
10 Jeanne Rasdolsky Plantes 1991 55 Pierre
Anniversaire 26 Loek et 4 0 Peter De Bock Séjournant
de mariage Henny Aarsen Bouquetin Arche de Noé
Anniversaire et poisson 56 Monique van
1988 Paeschen
de mariage 41 Van der Weerdt
1 1 R. de Bayle Paysage fracturé
27 Gisèle Broos Saxophone
des Hermens
Chevaux 42 Van den Briele
Concours: 1995
28 Salone del Libro Écrivain et Muse
La main et l’outil 57 Éric Coisel
[Torino] 43 Éric Coisel
12 Françoise Loussert Truffe
Livre et taureau Crustacé
Main et lettres 58 Pascal Fulacher
29 Veleso et fourchette
13 Willy Livre et lettres
[La montagna e 44 Hélène Nué
Braspennincx
la sua flora] Concours: Libido 1996
Oiseau
Rochers et 59 Frédérique Giess
14 Pierre 1992
chardons Cheval et mer
Séjournant 4 5 Hélène Nué
30 Fondation Taylor 60 Cor Vogel
Mer Paysage,
[Concours] Écriture et
15 Pierre lapins, taupe
Sphères informatique
Séjournant 46 Text’Art
31 Pierre Séjournant 61 Yolanda Stradiot
Arbre Arts
Paysage Arbres et violette
16 Françoise Loussert 47 Pierre Plaud
Main 62 J. B. Stomph
1990 Concours:
17 Monique “Les plaints
32 Serge Benoît Mercator
Van Paeschen d’un Icare”
Hanneton
Fleurs et livre de Baudelaire

95
 1996 1998 2003 2010
6 3 Pierre Roller 8 0 J.C. Vaxelaire 97 Marc Chanton 111 J. P. Boutron
Château “Des fleurs… Un autour – rapace Caducée, dragon,
de Combourg 11 Novembre 98 Gilles de aigle, guèpe….
64 Jean-François 81 Bernard Hanotiau Thalhouët 112 Béa Nevoux
Chassaing Voyage en Chine Paysage et flûte Concours:
Concours: 82 Aloys Vertongen baroque Jan Brito
Verlaine “Destruction 99 Jacques Jung Premier Prix
65 Louis Pisane de Paris” – Symboles lorrains
et professionnels 2012
Concours: Jean Giono
100 Pierre Roller 113 Horstfried
Verlaine
1999 Cité végétale Masthoff
66 Pierre
83 Pierre Roller 101 Guy Nadé Peter Schlemihl
Séjournant
Cité médiévale Saint Antoine d’Aldebert
Bord d’étang
84 Spartaco Cadioli Chamisso
67 Vassilis Zevgolis
Ruines et mer Spartacus 2004
102 Anita Thys 2013
68 Guy Vaucel 85 Gordon P. Smith
Chat 114 Cedric Bertin
Insectes Contes
Fantastique
69 Jeanne Rasdolsky 86 Zoé
2005 XIXe siècle
Concours: Musique
103 Aloys Vertongen
Contes 87 François Guesde
Arbre
70 M. Butor Citroën, vigne,
104 Jacques Pierre
Concours: cinéma et livres
Objectif et oiseau
Paysage cérébral 2000 105 Monique
88 Guy Nadé van Paeschen
1997
Saint Clément Bambou
71 Pierre Roller
Paysage et le Graouilly
2006
72 Gil Beumont 89 Jean-François
1 06 Jean Pisan
“La chanson d’Ève” Chassaing
Lorraine
73 Simone Monsinjon Château de Loches
107 Michel
Chat et fleurs 90 Jean-François
de Flogny
74 Jeanne at Jacques Chassaing
Cerf
Rasdolsky Château de Loches
Anniversaire 91 Hélène Nué 2007
de mariage Ballons 108 Philippe
75 Georges Goubot de Poortere
2001
Nu Livre et
92 Pierre Julien
76 Romain personnage
Saint Côme et
Van Hautekerke féminin
Saint Damien
Lotus, ginko 93 Marie-Rose Theunis 2008
et Bouddha Jeu de cartes 109 Jacques Leroy
1998 94 Yves Dodeman Personnage et
77 Jean-François Chouette et évocation de
Chassaing Mont Saint-Michel Daubigny
Hippocampe 95 Hagen et
Brakoniecki 2009
et sirène
Olsztyn 110 Joëlle Kowalik
78 F. Bernat i Sigalés
96 Marietta Hagedorn Sittelle et
Liberté
Une Nef des fous chevaux
79 Henri Hanlet
Hamlet

96
 STÉPHANIE BOS
Les sentiments et les pensées
de l’artiste elle-même
Je suis née en 1983 près de Bruxelles, et
depuis toute petite j’adorais dessiner. À la
maison, il y avait une pièce où je pouvais
dessiner et colorier sur les murs ! Quel plaisir.
J’ai toujours été inspirée par la BD: Franquin,
Hergé et plus tard Manu Larcenet. Depuis
mon enfance, je lis Spirou et cela m’inspire
encore tous les jours.
Stéphanie Bos
J’ai fait mes études à Gand et c’est durant ma
dernière année d’études en arts graphiques
que j’ai appris ce qu’était un ex-libris. Je
participais à un concours et j’étais à court
d’idées. Juste avant que n’expire le délai, j’ai
lu un poème sur un homme dont la femme
venait de rendre l'âme et dont il enfilait
les chaussures par mélancolie. J’imaginais
ses gros pieds jurant dans une belle paire
de chaussures à hauts
talons. C’est ce poème qui
m’inspira pour mon tout
premier ex-libris à l’eau-
forte. Et j’ai gagné un prix
pour cela. Depuis lors, les
histoires tristes ou un peu
lugubres, comme celles
d’Edgar Poe, sont celles qui
m’inspirent le plus.

Dans un dessin, j’adore

la simplicité, un simple
dessin qui dit tout. Par
conséquent, je ne m’attèle
jamais très longtemps à
la tâche. Si ce n’est pas
sur papier dans le quart
d’heure, je considère que
ce n’est pas un bon dessin.
La finition peut durer
longtemps, mais l’idée que
j’ai en tête doit être couchée
rapidement sur papier.
Stéphanie Bos

97
 StÉphanie Bos
My feelings and thoughts
about designing ex libris
I was born in 1983 in a town near Brussels, I went on to study “Graphic Arts” at college
Belgium. Right from my childhood I loved in Ghent and it wasn’t until my fourth and
to draw. My family encouraged this talent in final year that I learned about bookplates.
me by allowing me to draw on the walls of a That same year I entered a competition for
small room in our house. That was delightful! ex libris. Just a few days before the deadline
I read a poem about a man whose wife had
Comic books have always been a big just passed on. He was so sad and missed her
inspiration, my favorite artists are Franquin, so much that he tried her shoes on… but his
Hergé and Manu Larcenet. As a child I feet were far too big! It was that story that
started reading the “Spirou” magazine and, inspired my very first ex libris design and I
even now, I read it every week as a source of won a prize for it. From that point forward
new ideas and influences. sad or cryptic stories have inspired me the
most.

What I like in a drawing is simplicity,

a simple drawing that tells a whole
story, that is why I never take too
long to put it on paper. If the idea or
inspiration isn’t discovered within
the first few minutes, I’m not pleased
with it. The techniques to finish a
design may take time but the original
idea must be created spontaneously.
Stéphanie Bos

Opus 19
Ex libris based on the novels of Ian
Rankin. Mr. Van Gysel wanted an
ex libris that showed the milieu of the
detective in Edinburgh.
This image has two possible meanings:
the victim on the picture could be alive or
dead, the viewer decides.

98
 Opus 24
Ex libris for Karl Vissers. He wanted an ex libris based
on hyper-realist Roland Delcol, who mainly painted
unclothed women in a strange environment.

Õpus 11
Ex libris based on theme music.
I made it for a competition
and received an honourable mention.

99
 Opus 10 (Johan Uyttersprot) and Opus 8 (Tom Galle).
Both ex libris were made while reading “The Red Death” by
Edgar Allan Poe, Johan and Tom were fascinated by this story
and asked me to portray some moments in the story.
For Johan it is the death of the king who thought that the plague
could not afflict him. For Tom it is the masquerade ball.

Opus 14
Luc Hanssen approached me as a collector
fond of trees and nature.
My last name means forest, so he said it was
meant to be that I would make an ex libris
portraying a tree for him.

100
 Opus 22
My personal version of Poe’s “The Red Death”. It is based on masks that doctors wore
during the plague. The nose of the mask was filled with creams, oils and herbs to
reduce the odour of the decaying corpses.

101
 Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Stéphanie Bos
2005 2006 2007
1 Sarah Bos S1+C3 9 Hans Galle CGD 1 7/19 Wouter
Hairy legs Poe, The Masque Van Gysel
2 Stéphanie Bos S1+C3 of the Red Death Ian Rankin, Rebus
Hairy legs 10 Johan CGD [Fotopolymer]
3 Johan S1+C3 Uyttersprot
Uyttersprot Poe, The Masque 2008
Hairy legs of the Red Death 2 0 Martine Van Hove
4 Johan S1+C3 11 Konstanty C8-U Nature , fungud
Uyttersprot Andrezej Kulka [Fotopolymer]
Sailor man Music 21 Dirk Bos
5 Stéphanie Bos S1+C3 12 Stéphanie Bos C8-U Nature,
Sailor Woman Music mushrooms
6 Stéfanie Degraef CGD 13 Centrum C8-U [Fotopolymer-U]
Poe, The Mask Paderewskiego 22 Stéphanie Bos C4
of the Red Death Music Poe, The Mask
7 Willem Depauw CGD 14 Luc Hanssens CGD of the Red Death
Poe, The Masque Tree & Forest 23 Sarah Bos C8
of the Red Death 15 Stéphanie Bos S1-C8 My house screams
8 Tom Galle CGD Stuck in a hole, 24 Karl Vissers
Poe, The Masque above Sad beautiful
of the Red Death 16 Stéphanie Bos S1-S8 [Fotopolymer]
Stuck in a hole,
below

Opus 15
The girl is my self-portrait in a
phantasy world; I am falling into a hole
to the other side.

All the captions to the illustrated

examples of Stéphanie Bos's ex
libris are in artist's own words.

102
 THEODORA CHANDRINOU
A new star in the ex libris firmament

Theodora Chandrinou was born at Athens
and still lives and works in this city. As a
child, she loved to watch her grandmother
produce choice traditional embroideries.
Those were her first art lessons. Playing
with needles and yarns helped to cultivate
patience, develop powers of observation, and
polish artistic skills. A talent for painting was
noticed in her early school years.
A Silver Prize (1983) at the II Kanagawa
Biennial World Children’s Art Exhibition in
Japan was early recognition of her abilities.
When she decided to study the fine arts,
her parents could not deny her. In 1993 she
graduated from the Faculty of Painting of the
“Athens School of Fine Arts” in Greece.
Over the following years she was awarded
a scholarship by the Spanish Government in
1994-95; and then the competitive scholarship
of the Greek “Basili and Elisa Goulandri”
Foundation for studying at the “Facultad de
Bellas Artes - Universidad Complutense”
(Madrid). Those years were decisive for her
future artistic progress. Her studies in the

Opus 20 : ex libris George and Theodora

An anniversary ex libris for a couple – the artist

and her husband. Two white swans, symbolic of purity
and harmony. The surrounded sharpness, reminding
of the predicaments of life. But Love and Art give
inspiration and fortify.

103
Faculty proceeded well, but most important
was her close contact with the masterpieces
to be found in the museums of Spain. That
was an opportunity to extend her horizons in
the plastic arts.
Back in Athens with enriched knowledge,
she has dedicated herself to printmaking.
At the “Athens School of Fine Arts” from
2000 to 2002, she undertook post-graduate
studies with an I. K. Y. scholarship entitled:
“The light in black and white xylography –
woodcut and wood engraving”. In 2006 she
was awarded a Diploma in Printmaking.
She continues to participate in training
seminars relating to art and education as a
teacher and trainee.
Other Activities
Sharing knowledge is a vital part of her
life. For many years she has been teaching
art in primary private and public schools in
Athens. She also instructs adults together
with her husband, George Balos, at their
atelier. She is among the persons in charge of
innovative educational programs in Greece.
Art work by her students represented Greece
in a book of traditional fairy tales published
by the Council of Europe (2012).
On several occasions she has volunteered to
assist educational programs for persons with
special needs (also collaborated with the
Hellenic Kidney Association and KETHEA
- Network Preventive Services and Early
Intervention).
A poetical mood, pervasive in her art work,
highlights her love for poetry. Some of her
poems and articles on subjects of art have
been published in the daily and periodical
press in Greece. During the past seven
years while writing children’s stories, she
has had the opportunity to offer part of her
efforts to the educational community. In
2011 she wrote “The Magic Bag - Theatrical”,
accompanied by a driver of didactical
application. The book was evaluated by the
Pedagogic Institute and the Greek Ministry
of Education and approved for educational
purposes.

Opus 25: ex libris Artur da Mota Miranda

During the Holy days of Christmas, I had a positive communication, for first time, with
this ex libris collector. A pomegranate as a symbol of perfection was chosen. Full of wishes
for Inspiration, Creativity, Fertility, and Prosperity in life !

104
Art Exhibitions – Awards
She works systematically in the fields of
printmaking and painting. Since 1997,
she has been selected to participate in
several international biennial exhibitions,
representing Greece (know as Theodora
Chandrinou) -- invited by the organizers
or selected after competitions. In 1983 she
received the Silver Award in the II Kanagawa
Biennial World Children’s Art Exhibition,
Kanagawa, Japan; in 1998, the “Muestra
Itinerante 1998”, Buenos Aires, Argentina;
in 1999, the “Le Diplome d’ Honneur”,

Portrait of Theodora, burin by George Balos,

Painter-Printmaker.

Concours Mediterraneen d’ Arts Plastiques,

Fondation Ahmed et Rabah Asselah, Culture
– Algerie; in 2000, Public Recognition from
the Hellenic Kidney Association; and in
2009, Award of Participation “I Beijing Erotic
Exlibris Exhibition”, Beijing, China.

Evaluation

She and her husband George Balos, also a

painter-printmaker, share their interests, work,

Opus 22: ex libris Theodora

The belief in eternal life is symbolized through the

fertility of nature and blossoming. Winter flowers, the
cyclamens are testimony to hidden
powers and hopes. They transcend the melancholic
death of nature and impart to us the power to
pray! The personal ex libris of the artist.

105
 Opus 19: ex libris Marcel de Canck

Throughout the span of recorded human cultural history, the

pine cone has served as the symbolic representation of human
spiritual Enlightenment,of eternal life and immortality. Dedicated
to an old ex libris collector.

and accomplishments: “Companions in Theodora Chandrinou-Balou is noteworthy

Life and Art”. Both studied painting and
printmaking in the Fine Arts Faculties
of Athens and Madrid. They became
specialists in traditional techniques as well
as in miniature prints executed on wood or
copper (burin), creating engravings of high
quality. The art critics reacted positively to
their engravings: dedication and a genuine
passion. Nonetheless, the authors are not
looking for easy solutions or for dramatic
and superficial effects with the help of
modern technology. In their compositions
one can distinguish, beyond and from
the proper perfect métier, the particular
atmosphere that radiates throughout the
space.
for a having great capacity for synthesis
within her woodcuts, accentuated by the
transitions of white and black tones. “Her
colour woodcuts with focus on the flowers
express the great sensitivity of the artist for
nature. Remarkable indeed is her capacity to
attribute the subjects in a simple, direct view
focused into the light”.
All the captions to the illustrated examples of
Theodora Chandrinou's ex libris are in artist's own
words.

106
The Engravings – Ex Libris

According to Theodora: ‘‘The subjects

that I select to engrave are simply a
pretext – an excuse for me to speak
through my work for courtesy,
patience, sensitivity, tenderness, for
the luminous side of life, beauty and
so many other things. Each time the
subject becomes a challenge for me.
To express the inner world and to
communicate with the viewers, the
depth of their insight will build the
bridge. Though I am inspired by
nature, the main theme depicted
is light. I choose clear shapes and
substantial forms in order to maintain
the dynamism emitted from the
visible theme. The more suitable
technique is harmonized each time
with the main stimulus. I prefer not
to repeat myself, though my favorite
technique is wood engraving. To be
commissioned and create an ex libris
for a museum, a collector or a friend
gives me inspiration and is a unique
process! I am pleased that my works
are appreciated, especially within Opus 11: ex libris G. Balos
the community of collectors. Being
an artist is a gift not to be kept only Inspired by Greek traditional fairytales. The
to oneself. It is a joy to share this gift tree of life, a sweet melancholy, Sun and Moon,
through my work’’. depicted in the same image.

Opus 21: ex libris G. Balos

In the religious tradition of the western world, the apple

is the symbol of the erotic woman because Adam
and Eve tasted the prohibited fruit of the tree of Paradise. But
when Christ is portrayed holding an apple, he
represents the Second Adam who brings life.
Submitted to the First Erotic Ex Libris
International Exhibition.

107
Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Theodora Chandrinou
1996
1 Theodora
Bird and Cyclamen
Wood Engraving (X2)
1997
2 G. Balos
The Byzantine dragon
of the fairytales
For the Biennial of
Sint-Niklaas Municipal
Museums
Wood cut with colors (X1)
colored print
3 Jane H.
The Tree Girls - Inspired
from the ancient myth
For the Biennial of 12 Malbork Castle Museum
Sint-Niklaas Municipal
Museums
Linocut (X3)
4 José Hernández Museum
Horse running
Wood cut & Computer
As. Design (X1+CAD)
5 José Hernández Museum
Wheat
Linocut (X3)
6 Ex Libris 50th birth
anniversary of Julie
Klovic - University Guangzhou
Library of Rijeka
Leaf
For the collection of the
Croatian House of
Culture, Rijeka, Croatia
Copper, etching & soft
ground (C3+C6), colored
print
7 50th birth anniversary
of Julie Klovic
- University
Library of Rijeka
Oranges
Linocut (X3)
8 Julie Klovic - University
of Rijeka
Flowers
Linocut (X3), two colors
108
1998 2005
9 Malbork Castle Museum 18 Muzeum Miasta
Byzantine Dragon Features Ostrowa Wielkopolskiego
on the letter “E” Shells,
Linocut, color printed (X3) Wood Engraving (X2)
1999 2008
1 0 50th anniversary of the 1 9 Marcel de Canck
Council of Europe – Pine Cones
University Wood Engraving (X2)
Library of Rijeka 20 George and Theodora Balou
Eagle in the night Two Swans
Engraving on synthetic For the artist and her
material (X6) husband
11 G. Balos Wood Engraving (X2)
The tree of life
Wood Engraving (X2) 2009
2 1 G. Balos
Winds and Balloons Apple
Drypoint (C4) For the 1st Erotic Ex Libris
13 Malbork Castle Museum Beijing Biennial
The Castle Wood Engraving (X2)
Drypoint (C4)
2011
2000 2 2 Theodora
14 Muzeum Zup Cyclamens
Krakowskich Wood cut (X1), colored
Lantern candle print
Synthetic material (X6)
2012
2 3 Art Museum of
2001
1 5 So Xandrinos
Academy of Fine Arts,
Joker on a playing card
China
Musée Français de la
Flower
Carte à jouer, ISSY,
Wood cut & Computer
Les Moulineaux, France
As. Design (X1+CAD),
Wood Engraving (X2)
colored print
2002
1 6 Sint-Niklaas 2013
Municipal Museums 2 4 Florean Museum
Balloons Margaritas
Drypoint (C4) Wood Engraving (X2)
25 Artur da Mota Miranda
2003 Pomegranate
1 7 University Library of Wood Cut (X1), two colors
Rijeka -“Man and Fish”
Fish
Wood Engraving (X2)
 OLGA KRUPENKOVA
The World of a Storyteller
Anna Tikhonova

The artwork of the Belarussian graphic artist,
Olga Krupenkova, stems from childhood,
originating in fairytales read by her Mother
and lullabies sung by her Grandmother.
Naive and innocent motifs always evoke a
smile and enrapture. Viewing her works,
one can tell the author is a woman, a loving
and responsive mother.
The ex libris by Olga Krupenkova are
illustrative and narrative, the outcome of
being for many years a children’s book
illustrator. More than twenty children’s
books featuring her illustrations have
been published in Belarus and Russia.
The significant experience gained while
working on children’s illustrations has been
successfully integrated into the creation of
ex libris. Many have a certain literary basis.
For example, the ex libris designed for
Arkadi Elfimov are based on the famous
tale “Little Humpbacked Horse” by the
Russian writer, Peter Ershov, with familiar
figures of the Firebird and the Monster-
Marvel Whale. The ex libris designed for
Irina Diomina and Anna Filippenok offer

Olga Krupenkova

109
a keyhole view of the world of a little girl
from “Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis
Carroll. These ex libris can, consequently,
be referred to mainly as “book-based”
and “having an umbilical attachment to a
bookshelf”.
The artist prefers a naïve style, resembling
Russian popular prints and toy painting
for the “Man and Fish” series of ex libris
for the Rijeka University Library in Croatia.
Her mermaids and fish are exaggeratedly
large in comparison with fishermen. The
composition of even the most primitive ex
libris is properly accentuated, which reveals
her true professionalism.
Angels are among the most frequent
images encountered in ex libris by Olga
110
Krupenkova. Her prints are often “coloured”
with symbolism. All Olga Krupenkova’s ex
libris are touching and kind. The ex libris
has been accorded pride of place in the
artist’s oeuvre. Krupenkova’s favourite
technique is chromolithography, to which
she has remained faithful for many years.
These priorities were fixed early, during
her studies at the Belarus State Academy
of Arts (1988-1995), where she mastered all
printmaking techniques. Her graduation
work at the Academy – the series of seven
large format printing sheets united by a
common theme “People and Trees” (1995)
– was made by lithography. The author’s
love for lithography has extended to ex
libris. The artist draws on stone, contributes
to the printing process, collaborating with
the renowned Belarus printer, Dmitrii
111
Molotkov. The artist is among the few who OLGA KRUPENKOVA
continue to create by lithography despite an
overall interest in intaglio printing.
Curriculum vitae
Olga Krupenkova was born in 1969 at
The works by the author are included in the
Minsk, Belarus. In 1988 she graduated from
collections of the Museum of Modern Fine
Minsk Art College and in 1995, from the
Art in Minsk (Belarus), the International
Belarus State Academy of Arts, Department
Exlibris Centre of the Town of Sint-Niklaas
of Graphic Arts. She has participated in
(Belgium), Istanbul Ex-libris Museum
exhibitions since 1996; elected to the Belarus
(Turkey), Gliwice Municipal Public Library
Union of Artists in 1999.
(Poland), the Rijeka University Library
(Croatia), the Printing Museum, Tokyo
Personal Exhibitions:
(Japan), the Lithographic Academy in
Tidaholm (Sweden), and in many private
2005 – Illustration exhibition “A Living
collections in Japan, the Netherlands,
Fairytale”. The Museum of Modern Fine
Russia, Belarus, Italy, the United States,
Art. Minsk..2007 – Lithograph exhibition
and others.
“The Magic World”. “M-Gallery”, Goethe
Institute. Minsk 2008 – Exhibition “An
Optional Program” at the “Tradition”
Gallery. Svetlogorsk..2012 – Exhibition
“Romantic Realism”. Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Minsk, Belarus.

112
113
 Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Olga Krupenkova

1997 2003 2013

1 Olga Krupenkova C3+C5 2 1 Irinu Diominoi L 2 4 Ladi Ledenevoi L
Friends Cloud Castle Theater
22 Stankevich L 25 Mashenki L
1999 Nesvizh’s Lady Enchantress
2 Mirek Nisenbaum C3+C5 23 Filippenok L 26 Oleg Sudlenkov L
Phoenix Fairy Godmother The Paradise Apple
3 Lada Ledeneva C3+C5
27 Krupenkovoi L
Flight
Walk with the Dragon
4/5
The University C3+C5
Library of Rijeka
50th Anniversary
of the Council of Europe
2001
6/9
The University L3
Library of Rijeka
Old Letters

10/15 The University L3
Library of Rijeka
Man and Fish

2002
1 6 Dmitri Mizgulin L2
Fata Morgana
17 Dmitri Mizgulin L2
Angel
18 Arkadi Grigorievich L3
Elfimov
Monster-Marvel
Wale

2003
1 9 Arkadi Grigorievich L3
Firebird
20 Irinu Diominoi L
Loneliness together

114
 THE EX LIBRIS of
MARTA WARTALSKA
Rajmund Aszkowski

Marta Wartalska was born in 1989 in

Czestochowa, Poland, where she studied in
the Jacek Malczewski Comprehensive School
of Fine Arts in the Jewerly Making from
which she graduated with a honors. Then she
started study at Eugene Geppert Academy
of Arts in Wroclaw, Faculty of Graphic Arts.

In 1997, within the Leonardo da Vinci

program, Marta Wartalska participated in
jewelry-making three week workshop in
“Goldschmiedeschule mit Uhrmacherschule“
in the city of Pforzheim, Germany. In 2010
she participated in animation workshops
“Phase 2010” which was organized in
Wroclaws Youth Center. Currently, she
studies in “Hochschule für Bildende Künste
Braunschweig” at “Kommunikationsdesign
Facult”.

115
Marta is that kind of person who’s always
searching. During her childhood she studied
traditional drawing, jewelry and digital
painting. In addition, she studied printing
graphics and animation. This is how her
artistic development can be viewed. But
in reality there are constant experiments –
discovering new ways to create, through
traditional methods. Combining the old
and the new in a unique creation. Partially,
her experience comes from her school
and studies, but mostly she’s self-taught
artist. Graphic artist, illustrator, animator,
who explores both traditional and digital
drawing-techniques.

Her first encounter with the ex libris was

random and inconspicuous. Thanks to the
suggestion of her professor of academic
graphic workshops in 2011 she sent a triptych
of serigraphy prints that she created for
International Biennial of Small Graphic and
Ex Libris in Ostrów Wielkopolski. Without
any great expectations she was pleasantly
surprised that her works were included in
this Biennial exhibition. Her works always
show her passion for detail and organic
forms. Marta Wartalska has created ex libris
in various techniques, etching and aquatint,
but many of her ex libris are executed by
computer generated design.

116
Marta Wartalska

117
Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Marta Wartalska
2011 2011
1 Andrzeja 15 Rajmunda
Znamierowskiego Aszkowskiego
Campo di Fiori A. Kościuszko
2 Andrzeja 16 Rajmunda
Znamierowskiego Aszkowskiego
In my homeland Chopin
3 Józefa 17 Józefa Tadeusza
Bondarczyka Czosnki
4 Józefa Shield of
Bondarczyka Zlotoryja
5 Barbary 18 Józefa Tadeusza
Klein- Czosnki
Szymańskiej Cat Behemoth
6 Józefa 19 Józefa Tadeusza
Tadeusza Czosnki Czosnki (**)
7 Rajmunda 20 Miejsko-Gminnej
Aszkowskiego (*) Biblioteki
Chopin Publicznej
8 Szkoły w Wąchocku
podstawowej
w Poturzynie (**) 2011
Chopin 21 Miejsko-Gminnej
9 Józefa Tadeusza Biblioteki
Czosnki Publicznej
10 Rajmunda w Wąchocku
Aszkowskiego Printer’devil
Czarca and cats 22 Klaus Rödel
11 Rajmunda Leda & Zeus
Aszkowskiego
2012
Liberty
23 Krzysztof
2011 Kmieć
12 Rajmunda (In memoriam]
Aszkowskiego 24 Rajmund
13 Rajmunda Aszkowski (***)
Aszkowskiego Olympics
Liberty 25 Prof. Artur
14 Rajmunda Mamcarz
Aszkowskiego Heart
A. Kościuszko
____________
The artist Marta Wartalska has created the ex libris in various techniques. In this list the ex libris
marked with an asterisk (*) were made by aquatint (C5), the ex libris marked with two asterisks (**)
by etching (C3) + aquatint (C5), and the ex libris marked with three asterisks (***) by serigraphy (P9).
All the others were made in the technique of computer generated design (CGD).

118
 NURGÜL ARIKAN’S VISION
AS SHOWN THROUGH
HER EX LIBRIS DESIGNS…

James P. Keenan
American Society of Bookplate,
Collectors & Designers

During August of 2012 I had the pleasure
of spending several days attending the
activities of the FISAE Congress at Naantali
in Finland. There I met with our many old
friends along with a second meeting with
Ms. Nurgül Arikan from Istanbul, Turkey.
As everyone who has ever attended an
international ex libris congress knows, there
is ample time to get acquainted with the
participants, both artists and collectors. We
had time to share in the exchange room,
at meals, tours, followed by a few days
exploring Helsinki through photography.
Friendships grow at these meetings. Our
usual “group” in Helsinki included Olli
Ylönen (Finland), Keith Cranmer (USA),
Basak Coşkun (Turkey), and Nurgül. We
walked all over the city everyday visiting
the sites under Olli’s excellent guidance. It
was through these daily experiences that
we witnessed Nurgül’s true talents while
capturing the moments of our tour with
cameras. Framing, composition, subjects
were simply remarkable.
As a part of the congress program, one of the
scheduled tours was a cruise on a Viking Line
ship along the dramatic Finnish coastline.
Beautiful weather, gourmet foods, splendid
photo opportunities, exchanging bookplates,
and socializing—a winning combination
of activities. Nurgül leaves our group for a
moment to pick-up an espresso and comes
back to show us the thoughtful, clever photos
that she has taken along the way. This is
how she views the world. Nurgül Arikan

119
possesses a vision for the future of ex libris
design too. There have been more than 550
years of printed books and the marks of
ownership used to identify these precious
editions. With the birth of e-books, may come
the end of libraries, and printed bookplates?
This doesn’t seem likely with fine graphic
artists like Nurgül who are introducing
new concepts in ex libris design through
computer technology.
Ms. Arikan got her start designing personalized
greeting cards for her dear friends. These
were custom made to reflect their tastes,
interests, or special events in their lives. This
was her foundation for creating personal
marks of ownership. Nurgül is a graphic arts
professional who is now active in the field of
ex libris design. She works to inspire young
artists as a lecturer at the Faculty of Fine Arts
in Istanbul. Her position on the Istanbul Ex
Libris Society’s Board of Directors keeps her
informed as to the latest developments in
bookplate design along with the progress
of this graphic art form in Turkey. She is
also on the Board of the American Society of
120
Bookplate Collectors & Designers (ASBC&D)
now in its 9th decade. The ASBC&D is an
international association that welcomes
Nurgül’s innovative thinking.
In the 21st century, I think that the significance
of ex libris art will increase through the
creation of organizations to expand the
awareness of bookplate art. To increase
the awareness will benefit both artists and
collectors everywhere. The acceptance of
computer generated designs throughout
the ex libris community has changed the
possibilities in printmaking. It can help to
improve the development of the design and
layout of the art. The production process
of printmaking is changing with the times
and will continue to change; therefore artists
& printmakers should consider taking
full advantage of all of the benefits of new
technology. When working on a computer,
the designer can fully appreciate colors,
work on size adjustment, and a lot more.
Throughout development of the design and
up to the comprehensive sketch stage it is
possible to make desired changes to the
 design before beginning the original artwork.
Ex libris artists can utilize and benefit from
these features like other departments of the
graphic arts.

So many things have changed in the world

since the first appearance of the bookplate
centuries ago. Fortunately, there are many
people who understand the romance found
in collecting books and using an ex libris as
a mark of ownership. Ex libris prints will
continue to serve their original purpose
while at the same time they can be used
according to the owners discretion without
any boundaries. In other words, ex libris
owners can hang their prints on the wall,
use them in their books, or exchange them
with other collectors to increase the size
and scope of their collections. The first
time I saw Ms. Nurgül Arikan’s art, I was
organizing an exhibition of world ex libris
artists that was presented at the Instituto
Allende Fine Arts College in San Miguel de
Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico in 2009. Who
Nurgül Arikan
is this gifted woman who has created these
magnificent original designs? As it turns out,
the Instituto Allende will be the very same
college she will visit to conduct Master Artist
Workshops in ex libris design.

121
Nurgül Arikan is leading the way for many
young art students into the 21st century of
bookplate art. Her original, prize-winning
computer generated designs truly rank
among the best in the world in this category.
She possesses knowledge of graphic design,
advertising, and traditional printmaking
techniques—this certainly gives her an
advantage. Every ex libris project that she
develops requires a unique design solution.
Sometimes you can interpret the message in
the art immediately, while other times you
must look carefully to see those details to
gain an appreciation for the owner and to
catch the symbolism in the art. Of course,
some ex libris designs can be seen without
a message or unique interpretation while
others are created through typography or
beautiful calligraphic letterforms.
For many years Nurgül worked in the
corporate world as a graphic designer. She
was recognized for her talents by one of
the most prestigious Turkish industrial
groups named the Eczacıbaşı Group. In
two different divisions of this corporation,
she worked in graphic design becoming a
manager of design with specialization in
advertising and corporate identity. Dr. Nejat
F. Eczacıbaşı (1913–1993) was the founder
of the Eczacıbaşı Group in 1942. He used
to say that "the real measure of private
enterprise is the success with which it
increases the wealth of the community". This
company supports all branches of the arts
including the ceramic arts and the İstanbul
International Music, Film, Jazz, Theatre
and Visual Art Festivals. The Eczacıbaşı
Group founded the Istanbul Museum of
Modern Art in 1987. "While working with
the Eczacıbaşı Group, I started to present
lectures in a private university during early
2008, it was at this time that I created my
first ex libris for Prof. Dr. Hasip Pektas. I
appreciate his pioneering efforts and good
work for ex libris art in Turkey. Now I am
devoting more time to ex libris design. This
has become my priority".

122
It is important for Ms. Arikan to understand
who is commissioning the design. If the
owner has no specific collecting interests,
she must try to discover that person. She
finds pleasure in the development of the art
through the use of photos and verse in the
designs. She also likes to incorporate a part of
herself into the ex libris art. All of the ex libris
she has created present a unique story. The
bookplates that she creates have different
sizes according to their design. Generally
she prefers to arrange the longest edge at 10
cm, but this size will vary according to the
elements of the design. The smallest one she
has worked on is 4 x 4 cm and the largest one
is 12 x10 cm.

Nurgül is committed to advancing

the interest in the art of ex libris. She
has participated in many international
exhibitions, competitions, and has won
numerous awards. Furthermore, her works
have been presented in solo exhibitions.
Nurgül’s bookplate designs have been
seen in the newspapers and magazines of
different nations and are regularly exhibited
in museums around the world. One of the
main elements in designing an ex libris is to
find the best type style to complement the
art. It is important to me to find the most
suitable letterforms for each design. In some
bookplates, the typeface is incorporated
into the design as an afterthought without
consideration for the size or style of letter.
The typeface used is a critical element in the
overall visual impact of the design. Lettering
must take a prominent position within the
bookplate art by utilizing the correct size,
color, and placement.

Born in 1969, Nurgül graduated from

the Graphic Arts Division of Faculty of
Arts at Cukurova University in 1991. She
completed her Masters Degree in “Graphics
of Advertising” at the Graphic Arts Division
of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Marmara
University in 1995. Her thesis was written
on “Internationally successful and award-

123
 winning advertising campaigns. In 2003,
Nurgül obtained her second advanced
Degree from the Division of Public Relations
of the Faculty of Communications at
Anadolu University. Nurgül has researched
“Creativity in Children of 4-12 Years” and
has applied the results of this work in the
development of a series of workshops
designed to encourage creativity in children.
Another area of research for Nurgül has
been on the lives and works of Turkish
graphic artists and designers. She maintains
a formidable archive of ephemera and
biographical data on each artist. Over the
past twenty years she has been building an
important collection of posters and ex libris.

Nurgül Arikan’s ex libris prints have been

exhibited in many countries including
Russia, China, Mexico, United States of
America, Poland, N. Cyprus, Austria. Her
work has also been featured in the ex libris
journals of Austria, Denmark, Finland,
United States, to name a few.

124
Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Nurgül Arikan
2008 2010 2010 2011
1 Hasip Pektaş 20 Umut Arıkan 41 Klaus Rödel 61 Güler Dinçer
Eyes Foot Typographic work Breed
2 Hasip Pektaş 21 Soykan Arıkan 42 GB 62 Güler Dinçer
Face Erotic Erotic Breed
3 Faruk Eczacıbaşı 22 Soykan Arıkan 43 Gernot Blum 63 Nurgül Arıkan
Typographic work Erotic Erotic Family
4 Hasip Pektaş 23 Benoît Junod 44 Faruk Eczacıbaşı 64 Ayşe-Umur
Books Eros FE Bugay
5 Alp Arıkan 24 Selçuk Özceada 45 Hasip Pektaş Different stories
Books and child Cyprus Erotic and moods
6 Hasip Pektaş 25 Genco Erkal 46 Ali Gevgilili 65 Mahmure -
Books and children Nazım Erotic Hamdi Arıkan
7 Soykan Arıkan 26 Zeynep Oral 47 Nurgül Arıkan Life with cats
Books and I’am Hiroshima poem Typographic work 66 Mehmet Aksoy
8 Soykan Arıkan 27 Gürbüz 48 Eda Tekcan Stone and iron
Book D. Ekşioğlu Typographic work 67 Helge Larsen
Cyprus 49 Fatma Koçdemir Collection
2009
28 Özden Pektaş Teach 68 Nurgül Arıkan
9 Soykan Arıkan
Turgut 50 Soykan Arıkan Hevelius - Gdansk
To Yaroslav
Rooster Erotic 69 Alp Arıkan
10 Umut Arıkan
29 Fazıl Say 51 Gernot Blum Hevelius - Gdansk
To Yaroslav
Erotic - Music and Erotic 70 Nurgül Arıkan
11 Yurdaer Altıntaş
woman 52 Heinrich Scheffer Hevelius - Gdansk
To Yaroslav
30 Ichigoro Uchida Portrait 71 Alp Arıkan
12 Faruk Eczacıbaşı
Eros 53 Heinrich Scheffer Hevelius - Gdansk
Portrait
31 Müzeyyen Sanal Erotic 72 Erden Mısırlı
13 Mutasem
Eros 54 Zeynep Altıok Hevelius - Gdansk
Allaham
32 Martin Baeyens Erotic 73 Dr. Sezai Şahmay
Formulas
Eros Typographic work
14 Mariyanti 2011
33 Hasan Keseroğlu 74 Dr. Sezai Şahmay
Asimyadis 55 Pınar Kür
Eros Typographic work
Typographic work Dream and write
34 Soykan Arıkan 75 Yurdaer Altıntaş
15 Süleyman S. 56 Valeriy Pokatov
Eros Tattoo Erotic
Tekcan Typographic work,
35 Faruk Eczacıbaşı 76 Nurgül Arıkan
Horse a woman, a man
Butterfly and life Odysseus,
16 Nurgül Arıkan 57 Daria Surina
36 Fevzi Karakoç Typographic work
Woman Young Lady
Earth 77 Nurgül Arıkan
17 Ahmet Ö. Gezgin 58 Liodmila
37 Hıfzı Topuz Odysseus,
Eyes Shustrova
Book Typographic work
38 Nurgül Arıkan Past and future 78 Nurgül Arıkan
2010
Erotic 59 James Keenan Odysseus,
18 Soykan Arıkan
39 Klaus Rödel Erotic Typographic work
Dreams
Erotic 69 60 Helge Larsen 79 Nurgül Arıkan
19 Nurgül Arıkan
40 Klaus Rödel Erotic Odysseus,
Erotic dreams
Erotic Typographic work

125
 2011 2012 2012 2013
80 Nurgül Arıkan 91 Selçuk Ücel 101 Nazım Hikmet 1 09 James P. Keenan
Odysseus, The world is Vakfı Typographic work,
Typographic work spinning Nazım Dodo series
81 Rauf Denktaş 92 Selçuk Ücel 102 Kıymet Coşkun 110 James P. Keenan
Cyprus Life Nazım Lady in Red
82 Rauf Denktaş 93 Tauno Piiroinen 103 James P. Keenan 111 James P. Keenan
Cyprus Typographic work Typographic work, I. K. Y.
83 Rauf Denktaş 94 Klaus Rödel Dodo series 112 Hıfzı Topuz
Cyprus Typographic work 104 James P. Keenan Book for Nazım
84 Rauf Denktaş 95 Zuhal Dinçer Typographic work, 113 James P. Keenan
Cyprus Erotic Dodo series I. M. Y. series
85 Rauf Denktaş 96 Özcan Arca 105 James P. Keenan 114 James P. Keenan
Cyprus Wine and poem Typographic work, I. M. Y. series
86 Rauf Denktaş 97 Nurgül Arıkan Dodo series 115 Nurgül Arıkan
Cyprus Breed-Birth 106 James P. Keenan Language of
87 Nurgül Arıkan 98 Mehmet Dinçer Typographic work, the eyes
Erotic Baba Dodo series 116 Olli Ylönen
99 Nazım Hikmet 107 James P. Keenan Venus
2012 Vakfı Typographic work, 117 Olli Ylönen
88 Umut Arıkan Nazım and poets Dodo series Venus
Gemini 100 Nazım Hikmet 108 James P. Keenan
89 Soykan Arıkan Vakfı Typographic work,
Family Nazım Dodo series
90 Benoît Junod
Erotic

126
 CHEN XIAOFENG
Jos van Waterschoot
Since I visited in 2008 the XXXII International
Ex Libris Congress in Beijing I admire the ex
libris art in China. In the last years articles
I wrote about Chinese ex libris artists too.
It is obvious that now, for volume 17
dedicated entirely to female ex libris artists, I
write about the Chinese artist Chen Xiaofeng
(1984). Her first name is Xiaofeng, but often
she writes her English first name, Phoenix.
The Chinese characters of her first name
translate to ‘little Phoenix’. But Phoenix
means also ‘lucky bird’.
The first time I saw her work was in 2008
at the ex libris congress in Beijing. We
finally met in 2009 when, together with
my wife, I visited the ex libris congress
in the Chinese town Binzhou. In that time
she was still studying in the Art Academy
Chen Xiaofeng
in Guangzhou and she was the youngest
artist in the ex libris exhibition. Her
striking coloured ex libris received a prize.
My wife and I were taken with her work,
but also her enthusiasm was the reason that
we asked her to make an ex libris for us on
the theme ‘Lovers’. Naturally it is not only
the tender, picturesque colours making her
prints interesting. She achieves this colour
by using the mokuhan technique, a very
difficult print technique. Also her expressive,
sometimes frivolous shapes and the daring
compositions have a fascinating beauty.
The design gives her ex libris a dreamy and
intimate sphere.
During the XXXIII International Ex Libris
Congress in Istanbul Chen Xiaofeng was
again present. That is affirmation
of the fact that she makes her way
in the international ex libris world.
In the meantime several ex libris
lovers are impressed by the ex libris
Chen Xiaofeng made with our name.
Her art work came emphatic in the
interest by the fact that in 2011 her ex
libris were presented during the 18th
International Ex Libris — and Mini
Prints Competition in Sint-Niklaas
(Belgium). With this ex libris she got
the Victor Stuyvaert Award. This
award is given every two years to a
promising young talent.
Several ex libris collectors look
forward to having a personal ex
libris made by her. So it was not
difficult to find ten ex libris collectors
and together they decide to give her
a commission to make an ex libris
on the theme of ‘Lovers’. Meanwhile
127
 Opus 38 (3) - Xiaofeng
In front of nature, she felt very open mind, light
according to his chest,
as if to say: “slowly efforts, I can do better”.

128
 Opus 36 (1) - Xiaofeng
Peaks and gravel or run-down trees to strike branch, I like it
very much, also is charming, like this, she was so quiet lie in
nature, in a kind of position, and the natural relations,
contact, she was thinking.

Chen Xiaofeng is busy with this order. In
November 2012 my wife and I visited the 2nd
Guangzhou Exlibris and Mini-Prints Biennial
and there we met her again. She showed
us the sketches for the ten ‘Lover ex libris’.
While she finished the art academy and she
has now a job in a school, there is less time to
make in a short time a lot of ex libris. But it is
worth the wait for an artistic bookplate made
by Chen Xiaofeng. She is a Chinese ex libris
artist, who reached in some years the top of
the world ex libris art. Several times I have
remarked that nowadays China is a paradise
for ex libris lovers.
All the captions to the illustrated examples of
Chen Xiaofeng's ex libris are in artist's own words.

129
 Opus 40 (5) - Shen Yanxiang
Zeus into goose, with mouth off the Leda, only a piece of clothes,
Leda to against what, China’s implicit beauty generally true.
This ex libris for Mr. Shen Yanxiang, “Leda and the Swan”
theme is one of the favorite subject collectors.

130
 Opus 41 (5) - Qing Tao
Sometimes love comes, seemingly indestructible, the fact is a strike
that is broken, sometimes between lovers for life all kinds of trifling
matters, feelings appear small crack, but sometimes such crack can
let feelings more on a higher level.

131
 Opus 37 (2) - Xiaofeng
Women and social topic is never ending, must use their own hands to
break the original rules, clear your direction.

132
Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Chen Xiaofeng
2007
1 Chen Xiaofeng *
Poker (1)

2 Chen Xiaofeng *
Poker (2)

3 Chen Xiaofeng *
Poker (3)

4 Zheng Shuang
Youth (1)

5 Zheng Shuang
Youth (2)

6 Zheng Shuang
Youth (3)

7 Hong Fu

You and me (1)

8 Hong Fu
You and me (2)
9 Hong Fu
You and me (3)

2008
1 0 Xiao Feng
Time years (1)
11 Xiao Feng
Time years (2)
12 Xiao Feng
Time years (3)

13 Xiao Feng
Time Years (4)

2009
1 4 X. N. T.
Leda & the Swan (1)
15 X. N. T.

Leda & the Swan (2)

16 F. F. Xiao Feng

Beauty (1)
17 F. F. Xiao Feng

Beauty (2)
18 F. F. Xiao Feng
Beauty (3)
19 F. F. Xiao Feng

Beauty (4)

2010
20 Fu Xianzhai
Don Quixote
Opus 42 (2) - Qing Tao
21 Fu Xianzhai He hugged her and told her a lot if stories, she lay in his side listening
Europa kidnapped quietly listen, this is a good night, sweet moment between lovers.
22 A. & J.v. W.
Lover

133
 2010
3 Liu Shuohai
2
Night and Day
24 Zheng Xingqiu
Long for
25 Q. T. Chen Qingtao
Here (1)
26

Q. T. Chen Xingtao
Here (2)
27 Q. T. Chen Qingtao
There (1)
28

Q. T. Chen Qingtao
There (2)

2011
9 Qingtao
2
Performance (1)
30 Qingtao

Performance (2)
31 Qingtao

Performance (3)
32 Qingtao

Breathing (1)
33 Qingtao

Breathing (2)
34 Qingtao

Breathing (3)
35 Qingtao

Breathing (4)

2012
6 Xiaofeng
3
Relationship (1)
37 Xiaofeng

Relationship (2)
38 Xiaofeng

Relationship (3)
39 Xiaofeng

Relationship (4)
40

Shen Yanxiang
Leda & the Swan
41 Qing Tao
Lovers (1)
Opus 43 (3) - Qing Tao
2012 Love is the good things of the world, and all kinds of action between lovers,
42 Qing Tao
more show the warmth of love, from the male host to the hostess a gentle kiss,
Lovers (2) they love each other.
43 Qing Tao

Lovers (3)
44 Xiao Feng

Angel Baby (1)

45

Xiao Feng
Angel Baby (2)
46

Shen Yanxiang
Angel Baby
47 Xiao Feng
Angel Baby

134
 MARINA KUPKINA
Svetlana Kupkina
Marina Kupkina was born on 12 April 1989
in Kyiv, Ukraine. From 2002 to 2007 she
studied decorative applied art at the Taras
G. Shevchenko Art School. After completing
secondary education, she enrolled at the
Faculty of Graphics in the National Academy
of Fine Arts and Architecture (Kiev, 2007),
where she is studying under the supervision
of Professor A. Chebykin. In 2013 Marina
will graduate from the Academy with a
master’s degree. She has many creative
projects in mind for the near future.
Marina has been engaged in bookplate
design for several years. The basic graphic
techniques in which the artist reproduces
her vision are the linocut, woodcut, and
etching. She has been generating her own
style and lettering. Her works incorporate
Marina Kupkina
an original vision of daily occurrences. The
images seem to be a “glass” transparency,
encouraging the spectator not to focus
attention on the superfluous mass of the
composition, but to concentrate on the
essence of the subject-matter.
The special depth of influence that Marina’s
works have on a spectator is not by reason of
the range of colors. An elemental line forms
an image as emotion governs composition.
A color merely sometimes supports the
emotional composition, without changing it
in substance.
Most often in the works of the artist
everything turns around one or two figures.
The plasticity of these figures creates
transmissions of power and conducts
the emotional tension of
the subject-matter. Marina
Kupkina aspires not to the
image of the human form as
such, but to the reflection in
the plastic arts of body and
gestures that contain profound
displays of the human essence.
The works of Marina Kupkina
generate the admiration of
connoisseurs and collectors
of the graphic arts in Ukraine
and far beyond.
All the captions to the illustrated
examples of Marina Kupkina's
ex libris are in artist's own words.
135
 Opus 10

This ex libris belongs to chairman charity “Revival Tobolsk”. Arcadij Elfimov who was
formerly mayor of the city – well-known throughout the enlightened Siberia.

Tobolsk, the historic capital of Siberia, in 1590, the ancient Russian city on the banks of the
giant big fish is on his back the whole city. In 1834, the Russian poet Ershov wrote the tale
“The Little Humpbacked Horse” following the adventures of Ivan and his other magical
Humpbacked Horse in the town. This is located on the back of Miracle
“Yudo” Whale-Fish.
Status of the city-tale Tobolsk has today.

136
 Opus 6

Heart is the center of human feelings

and emotions.

137
 Opus 7

Two hearts, men and woman, two souls

inhabiting a microcosm.

138
 Opus 5

Garden fun, illusion and deception.

139
Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Marina Kupkina

2009
1/3 Dedicated to X3
N. V. Gogol
Gogogliana
2012
4 S. Kupkina X3
Search for
the perfect
5 S. Brodovich C3
Garden of
temptation
6 Marina Kupkina C3
Within the heart
7 Ievgen Kharuk C3
Two faces of the
same whole
8 O. Denysenko X1
In search of
an answer
9 N. V. Cercovnyy X3
Fight
10 A. Elfimov C3+C5
Fabulous city
11 N. V. Cercovnyy X3
Opposition
12 N. V. Cercovnyy C3
In a burst of
emotions
13 Dmitry Mizgulin C3
Bookplate plot

Opus 13

Bookplate plot – Winter traces of frost on the water, winter

– as a time of the year, as a defining life in the North and Siberia fairy
… As the muse of poetry, reflections of the eternal.
And Latin phrase: Multa paucis: “A lot in a few words”.
Dmitry Mizgulin, poet, philosopher, lyricist of the Russian North.

140
 NELE ZIRNĪTE
Eva Rotcenkova, M. A.
Latvia can be proud of many skilful artists.
Among the most brilliant is printmaker
Nele Zirnīte. She has been recognized as
being one of the world’s best printmakers in
The Best of Printmaking: An International
Collection (Selected by Lynne Allen and
Phyllis Mc Gibbon, with an introduction
by Ruth Weisberg, Rockport Publishers,
Quarry Books, 1997). Because of her high
standard of technique and craftsmanship,
she has reached achieved success among
Latvian (and other Baltic countries) and
world graphic artists. Zirnīte is a member
of the professorial senate in arts and history
of art at the Latvian Art Academy, and since
21 August 2003 is Associate Professor in the
Latvian Christian Academy.
A major role in Zirnīte’s works is played by
relationships between man and nature that
can be seen from different points of view
because man, being a small part of nature
and intertwined with it, sometimes is not
aware of this. Images used by the artist come
from her previous artistic experience and her
skills in academic portrait drawing during
her studies in Lithuania. Of great importance
are her skills in etching that Zirnīte manages
brilliantly. She has undertaken several
experiments in this field (and still does) to
141
produce something new and interesting.
Her favorite printmaking technique is
etching, in which over many years Zirnīte
has developed her artistic imprint. Although
etching is considered to be one of most
difficult printmaking techniques, Zirnīte at
every stage devotes her attention to details
and filigree elements in her works.
of magical realism. Her artistic language
is replete with images that are not just
fantasies, but some kind of symbols that
are important for artistic self and originate
in her subconscious. There are magical
spaces in Zirnīte’s works that seem to be
some mystical world with own rules and lie
somewhere between reality and mystery.

Zirnīte continues to experiment and refine

her etching techniques, By incising different
shapes to realize her complex artistic ideas.
Zirnīte’s fantastic creative imagery and
surrealistic images are a manifestation

142
 NELE ZIRNĪTE
About myself
In my childhood, I loved to draw. “The
pencil never slipped from her fingers”, my
mother used to say; and I was interested in
music and dancing as well. My mother had
a great natural voice, and there were many
musicians in our family. At first I learned
music, and only in the upper grades of high
school did I start to study art. I have always
been good at portraits. My mum remembers
the words of the Rector of the Vilnius Art
Institute, Professor V. Gečas: such a talent
for portrait painting is born just once in 100
years. I suppose the encouraging words I
often heard have helped me to choose art,
and particularly the graphic arts, as my way
of life.

I have always had something to say. I like

to cherish an idea in my mind for a long
time, to create an original vision which is
completely new. I would not say that I am
led by emotions: I prefer to hold them in
check, at least in my art, and to create a
feeling of a moment stopped in time: “The
images often have a significant symbolic
sense and can be variously interpreted.
Her art is multilayered, with a deep
philosophical thought in it, and with a rich
cultural background. In her works, nothing
is unequivocal, and every onlooker will find
something very personal in them” (Māris
Brancis, 2009).
Undoubtedly, it is important for an artist to
exhibit his/her art works, to let them live and
travel in order to encounter their onlookers
in different parts of the world. That is why I
actively participate in collective exhibitions
and arrange personal exhibitions. I enjoy
the feeling of free creative work without any
frames. For a long time, I could not imagine
myself creating art which would depend
upon the wishes of others. That is why it
took so long for ex libris to become part of
Nele Zirnīte
my artistic life. I turned to ex libris at last
when I met people who trusted me and did
not try to meddle with the artistic process,
let me improvise freely, according to my
feeling and perception, giving me just some
details and their name. I am grateful to those
people, especially to Luigi Bergomi, who
thus gave me inspiration for several works
of art.
There are crucial moments which can change
one’s life. Somebody joked once that I kept
dedicating my art works to the Cosmos; I
must say that ex libris helps me to return
to Earth. So, the year 2012 was dedicated
to ex libris. Trust in the etching technique,

143
which opens the way to “pass through” NELE ZIRNĪTE
in numerable plates, which requires a
heavy but captivating work process, which
Curriculum vitae
strengthens a determined aspiration for
Nele Zirnīte was born on 27 May 1959 in
harmony and connection with and around
Lithuania. She initially studied graphic arts at
oneself. As years pass, the “conquered”
the Vilnius Academy of Arts, specialising in
number of plates in my life increases, they
printmaking, but since 1982 has been in Latvia,
accrue in the wings of the past. Behind me
when she came to study at the Art Academy
– a field of zinc plates and platelets, like a
of Latvia, based in Riga, and graduated as a
protective metal shield with stained symbols
Master of Fine Arts. Her teachers have been
of time, each preserving its moment of truth.
prominent graphic artists in Lithuania and
The etching with its rules, laws and whims,
Latvia (Leonas Lagauskas, Gunārs Krollis).
like a path to self-discovery, beginning with
the visualization of an idea and continuing,
Her creative work clearly shows the enduring
crossing the boundaries of the plate. This is
place that Zirnīte holds in the art history
a form of art, where the unseen thinks for
of Latvia. She has had a significant impact
a long time before revealing itself. I would
on the development of etching, not only by
like to say: I live in a plate, attempting to
experimenting in this field, but also by working
convince myself and others that it really is
as a pedagogue, teaching rising graphic art
not a plate ...
students (1995–2003 Lecturer, Graphic Arts
Nele Zirnīte

144
Department, Latvian Art Academy; since 2003 Water”, with master classes and international
Associate Professor, Art Department, Latvian exhibitions. Between 1984 and 2013, the artist
Christian Academy), performing in C/O participated in many exhibitions in Latvia,
“Grafikas kamera”, and heading the etching United States, Spain, France, Belgium, Italy,
studio in the Union of Latvian Artists (member Sweden, Czech Republic, Turkey, Poland,
since 1988). She is the initiator and the author Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland,
of concept for the association “Oforta Ģilde” Bulgaria, Romania, Canada, Japan, Taiwan
(The Etching Guild), founded in 2010. The aim and Germany. Her works are represented
of the Guild is to promote the social benefit in the Art Museum of Arizona University
of creating a common circle of interests and a (United States), Eksjö Museum, Alma Löve
coordinating system of creative co-operation Museum ( Sweden), J. Monkute-Marks
for professional etchers. The Guild provides Museum (Lithuania), Municiap Art Gallery
high-quality printing possibilities, enriching (Poland), Arte/Desarrollo Humano Workshop
the experience which helps to maintain the (México), Art Foundation (Russia), Cremona
traditions and creative processes of this Civic Museum (Italy), etc.
unique kind of art. She leads and organizes
the work of the “Etching Guild”, curating a Nele Zirnīte has received various awards
project underway for several years, “Strong and prizes, including honourable mentions
in Xativa, Spain
( 2 0 0 7 ) B r e c l a v,
C z e c h Re p ubl i c
(2005), Riga, Latvia
(20 03,1998, 1997,
1987), Gloucester,
Massachusetts,
United States (1997),
and Tallinn, Estonia
(19 9 2). I n 19 82
she was awarded
the Prize for Best
Draw i ng by t he
Vilnius Academy
of Arts. She has
been placed among
the world’s best
printmakers in the
edition of The Best
of P r i nt m a k i ng:
An International
Collection. In 2012
she was included in
a German edition
of a book “Lexicon
of Fantastic Artists”,
by prof. Gerhart
Habarta.

145
Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Nele Zirnīte

1978 2011 2012

1 Neles C3C5
1987
2 Silvija Veckalne C3
2010
3 Undīnes gramata C3
4 Biblioteca Bodio Lomnago C3 6 Luigi Bergomi C3C5
Dolce Vita 7 Dzintars Putnis C3
5 Biblioteca Bodio Lomnago C3 8 Laura Ruijun Liu C3
Dolce Vita 9 Tonqing Zhang C3
10 Artur da C3C5
Mota Miranda

146
 ANASTASIA ZYKINA
Artist-philosopher and artist-lyricist
Dmitry Severjukhin
The appeal of ex libris is the ability to create
an original intellectual “portrait” of the
customer, his “coat of arms” or emblematic
motto in the form of small prints. Anastasia
Zykina is a Russian artist from St. Petersburg
who is rarely bound to the chariot of the
customer. She prefers to work in a world of
her own images. Her practice is the graphic
theater where tragedy can coexist with
comedy and the grotesque followed by an
erotic joke.
Anastasia Zykina favors the process of
etching incorporating an enormous diversity
of techniques. There are mezzotints, open
etching and dry points to elements of the
Anastasia Zykina
picture. Her works with mezzotints are
particularly impressive. Most of these prints
could be used as the fine artistic examples
of engraving on metal. Anastasia Zykina
studied the art of engraving and printing
from famous teachers such as Oleg Yakhnin
(Олег Яхнин). Through the engraving
technique she created her own innovative
style and the knowledge of history. In fact,
a closer look at her oeuvre reveals that
Zykina’s works became a key component of
the visual art. The main feature of her own
style is based on using various contrasting
graphic methods. This resulted in accurate
interpretations of silhouettes, lines and
textures retaining a great sense of drama.
147
Zykina works as a professional in the field
of graphic art, easel painting and book
illustration. Her impressive debut took place
in 2006. It was a large series of etchings that
illustrated Dostoevsky’s novel, “The Brothers
Karamazov”. Her graphic interpretation
of this classic novel is not a detailed image
of the scene but rather the whole range of
the philosophical concept behind the story.
Smooth outlines and the fluency of vivid
dots are contrasted with the strong strokes
in her images. This entire graphic series
was acquired by the F. M. Dostoyevsky
Literary Memorial Museum in St. Petersburg
and shown in the Museum exhibitions.
Anastasia Zykina devoted her next large
graphic series to the stories of Leonid
Andreyev, a novelist of the Silver Age period
in Russian history from St. Petersburg. He
was a researcher of borderline psychological
states and destroyer of religious taboos.
Zykina’s graphic interpretation of Leonid
Andreyev’s prose was an eccentric way
for a contemporary artist. Etching boards
were etched through and broken down
into parts. Then printing was made from
these fragments reflecting the spirit of the
depressing plots from Andreyev’s novels.
These designs of Anastasia Zykina were very
successful. Her 43 images were published in
a limited edition by Vita Nova Publishing
House. The portfolio of her handmade and
bound etchings was acquired by the State
Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.
Among the most recent works of Zykina are
eleven letters of the Russian erotic alphabet
(that is the ex libris collection in collaboration
with Oleg Yakhnin and Michail Gavrichkov),
the easel triptych dedicated to Boris Eifman’s
ballet, and large-scale graphics suite “The
Petersburg Text or Mitya’s dreams”. The
last series is a turning point for the artist’s
work. She gets rid of the mental anguish and
aspires to the direct expression of the inner
lyric beginning.
Anastasia Zykina is influenced by her
literary experiences in creating ex libris.
The artist’s exalted lyrical philosophical
tone can be intertwined with the motifs of
the Decameron. However, there is no literal
illustration of the text. She always turns
the plot of a literary composition into a
generalized symbolic image often far from
the source book. That is the attention value
of Anastasia Zykina’s oeuvre with her own
techniques applied by her as an artist-philo­
sopher, artist-playwright, and artist-lyricist.

Later on, Anastasia Zykina created graphic

interpretations of Anna Akhmatova’s poems
and the Old Testament parables. She then
created a series to accompany novels by the
writers who were members of an artistic
underground movement that emerged in
St. Petersburg in 1960s. Collage technique,
bright coloured dots, dissonance, and non-
habitual “literary” logic give a surreal shade
to these images. The experienced masters
are inspired by the textured abundance of
Anastasia Zykina’s innovative talents.

148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Anastasia Zykina

2003
1 A. Lytkin
St. Petersburg'
Angel
2 Angelyka
Filippova
Narcissus

2006
3 F. M.
Dostoyevsky

2008
4 “Duel”
5 Anastasia
Zykina
6 L. Andreev
7 Anna
Akhmatova
8 Anna
Akhmatova
Summer
Gardens

2009
9 “Vita Nova”
[Publisher
House
“Vita Nova”]

2010
1 0 Dmitrji
Severjukhin
Favourite Child

2011
1 1 Sergey
Brodovich

2012
1 2 “Moses”
13 “Parable”
14/17 “Massage”
18 Alexander
Mikhailov

The varied techniques used for ex libris by the artist Anastasia Zykina
include etching (C3), mezzotint (C7) and original serigraphy (S1).

156
 LIUBOV ABRAMOVA
An Introduction to the Artist

What is an ex libris? and fascinating compositions using various

In addition to the fact that an ex libris is a
small graphic form and requires a special
approach to design, for me it is above all
a creative work in which inner power and
special energy impulse are important. A
miniature form can engender unexpected
techniques.
I think that dry point and mezzotint are the
most expressive techniques. Their tonal value,
richness and the succulence of lines allow the
designer to produce the most vital breathing
space in work and mysterious images filling

Opus 15 – What a small world

Feeling of the significance and helplessness of human life in the world.

157
 Opus 10 – Naked - Apple
Image of a forbidden fruit. Sense of the border, to which temptation leads.

158
that space. Sometimes I imagine monumental

Photo: Sergey Pilipovich

compositions as if from a distance and they Liubov Abramova
reduce to the size of an ex libris. Then the
work seems to be a small window into a great
mysterious world. Sometimes the line helps
create a sweeping, expressive work, looking
like a quick sketch. Both accuracy and ease
are vital in such a work. The small form
restricts space and encourages one to reflect
on the essence of things.

The visual representation of objects masks

the essence that depends on the observer
while being a reflection thereof. It is a mask
covering the mask of life, and in fact is the
one that reveals the essence. The feeling of
freedom. The possibility to safely open your
inner universe protected by a thin, yet strong,
boundary. Mask is a boundary that will never
reveal the truth: whether it is a truth or a
game. Etching, being an unpredictable and
mysterious technique, rich in colors and
textures, can technically interpret this. The
needle also follows a fine line between the
random and the regular.

The artist – or creator – is merely a small LIUBOV ABRAMOVA

detached observer wandering the alleyways
of imagery. I think and feel that I have yet
to explore and comprehend the world of
ex libris.
Liubov Abramova
All the captions to the illustrated examples
of Liubov Abramova's ex libris are in artist's
own words.
Curriculum vitae
Liubov Abramova was born on 15 January
1977 in Minsk, Belarus. In 1996 she graduated
from the Belarus College of Arts; from 1997
to 2004 she studied at the Belarus State
Academy of Arts, Department of Graphic
Arts. From 2005 to 2008 Liubov continued
her education at the Academic Art Painting
Studio of the Ministry of Culture of the
Republic Belarus. Since 2008 Liubov has been
a member of the Belarus Union of Artists
(Department of Graphic Art). She works in
watercolor and etching, taking part in many
international exhibitions and competitions.
Her works can be found in the Museum of
Modern Art (Belarus, Minsk) and also in
private Collections in Belarus, United States,
Germany, Israel, Belgium. Holland, China
and Greece.

159
 Opus 14 – Apple elevation
Still life with apples turning into the landscape. Elevation, were fruits like people are located.

160
 Opus 11 – Determination
Image of spontaneous energy and potential human power.

161
 Opus 13 – Greenery
Fruits and images of the wildlife. These are animate objects.

162
 Opus 12 – Resistance
An image of the human energy that is capable to overcoming some obstacles.

163
Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Liubov Abramova
2007 2010 2011
1 Sofia Gerchanikova C3 7 Rotary Club C4C7 13 Gregory Abramov C5C7
Notes Acqui Terme Greenery
2 Gala Zarankina C7 Ninth Universe 14 Tatiana Mayko C5C7
Silhouette 8 Rudra Abramov C4C7 Apple elevation
3 Boris Abramov C3 Birth of the planet
Party 9 Varuna Mayko C4C7 2012
4 Raisa Kustanovich C7 Magic tree 15 Helga Becker- C4C5C7
Fruit Bickerich
2011 What a small world
2009 10 Agaath C7 16 Oleg Sudlenkov C4C7
5 Evgenija Belenkaja C4C7 van Waterschoot Only at the
Nature at its best Naked flowers way
6 Pavel C4C7 11 Xotaris C4C5 17 David Woodruff C5C7
Gerchanikov Determination Future dried fruits
At the rain 12 Xotaris C4C5 18 Ninel Dubrovich C5C7
Resistance Still life at the sunset

Opus 18 – Still life at the sunset

Still life is illuminated with warm light. Objects turn into the people who find themselves at the sunset.

164
 SENSIBILIDAD, CREATIVIDAD Y OFICIO EN LOS GRABADOS
Yolanda Carbajales
Mariano Casas Hierro
Presidente de la Asociación Catalana de Exlibristas
Hace unos años conocí casi al tiempo unos
grabados sorprendentes y al personaje que
los creaba, conocí a Yolanda Carbajales, una
mujer y una obra cautivadoras, simpáticas,
alegres, vivas, bellas. Yolanda Carbajales
con sus maneras negras, crea imágenes, que
existen en forma de oscuridad, que están
más allá de las palabras y del pensamiento,
y por el deseo de crear de ellas nacen
universos enteros. De su forma tenebrosa
surge la belleza, que va del oscuro infinito al
blanco de la pureza absoluta.
Sus imágenes creadas a la manera negra,
no son cualquier imagen, sino imágenes
concebidas y ejecutadas según reglas
precisas y por eso mismo capaces de abrir
un mundo invisible a la mirada de aquel
que las contempla. Sus matrices son soporte
de lo único, que manchadas y estampadas
crean lo múltiple y así se convierten en
instrumento de contemplación. Entendemos
por manera, la forma particular de hacer una
cosa, de proceder, de ser, de decir, de pensar,
de hablar, de actuar. Y a la hora de hacer,
de actuar y de ejecutar, se pueden tener
buenas o malas maneras, aunque un buen
resultado, tanto técnico como artístico, en
un grabado a la manera negra solo se puede
conseguir, con buenas maneras, mucho oficio
y profesionalidad, que es sin duda alguna lo
que caracteriza a Yolanda Carbajales.
La Manera Negra, también llamada
“Mezzotinta”, o grabado al humo, consiste
en obtener blancos de la estampa a partir de
un negro tonal. Y a pesar de que los grabados
a la Manera Negra tradicionalmente se han
estampado en negro, para que el contraste
con el blanco del papel cree belleza, Yolanda
Carbajales ha dado unos pasos más (con
buenas maneras), añadiendo otros colores
a sus estampas y combinando diferentes
técnicas en un mismo grabado, buscando lo
positivo, la luz, la realidad… todo ello con el
objetivo de crear belleza.
Yolanda Carbajales, partiendo de lo oscuro
en forma de geometría estética que nace
sobre superficies de cobre o zinc crea
imagenes que irrumpen sobre el papel y
despliegan a través de la forma la vibración
de lo bello.
Y a ti, Manera Negra, se te pueden aplicar
las palabras del Cantar de los Cantares
que en la Edad Media aplicó a la Virgen
Negra: “Negra sum sed Formosa”, “Negra
soy, pero hermosa”. De tu negro profundo
nace la luz, la luz de la gracia, de la razón
y de la belleza, como en los grabados de
Yolanda Carbajales. Creo que la relación,
amistad y amor por el grabado y en mi
caso también por los ex libris, fueron lo que
motivaron que Yolanda aportase su arte
en la ejecución de unas pequeñas obras de
arte, creadas por amistad y complicidad,
me refiero a los ex libris que tienen como
titulares “Contratalla”, mi persona y los más
recientes dedicados al próximo Congreso
de Exlibristas que celebraremos en nuestras
comarcas.
Todavía no son muchos en cantidad, pero sí
de mucha calidad, los ex libris de Yolanda,
pero seguro que el tiempo, su capacidad y
talento harán que el número aumente, so
hace falta tiempo para que el mundo de los
ex libris se enriquezca con las aportaciones
de la artista Yolanda Carbajales.
165
 Opus 2
El ex libris conmemorativo del 75º aniversario de la muerte de
Roberto Nóvoa Santos (1885-1933), que también coincide con
el 25º aniversario de la constitución de la SOGAMI, pretende
expresar este pensamento: de entre as ruinas y heridas del
tiempo surge la Inmortalidad como forma de transformación
de la energia psicofísica humana de los predecessores, que así
sobrevive en la memoria común de la humanidad.

166
 Yolanda Carbajales
YOLANDA CARBAJALES
Curriculum vitae
Yolanda Carbajales nació en Caracas,
Venezuela, en 1968. Licenciada en Bellas Artes
en la especialidad de Diseño y Audiovisuales
en 1991 por la Universidad de Salamanca.
Es miembro de ARGA (Asociación Nacional
de Artistas Plásticos Galegos) y de ACE
(Asociación Catalana d’Exlibristas). Ha
realizado desde 1989 numerosas exposiciones
individuales y colectivas en España y otros
países (Portugal, Inglaterra, Suecia, Francia,
Italia, Polonia, Marruecos, Argentina, Grecia,
Bulgaria), siendo seleccionada en distintos
eventos artísticos, entre muchos otros: XII
Bienal Internacional de Arte de Vila Nova
de Cerveira (Portugal); Premio Acqui
(Italia); 4th International Small Engraving
Exhibition “L’Arte e il Torchio”, Cremona
(Italia); VII y VIII Trienal de Chamalières
(Francia); Exposition Européenne 2009,
Brugge (Bélgica); seleccionada por la
SNBA, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris
(Francia); International Mezzotint Festival,
Ekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts (Rusia);
VI Bienal Internacional de Gravura – Douro,
Alijó (Portugal) y 3nd Qijiang International
Print Invitational Exhibition (China). Entre
los muchos premios y distinciones que a
lo largo de los años le han sido atribuídos
merecen una mención especial: Ganadora
del premio “Maria Teresa Toral” en el XVIII
Premio Nacional de Grabado (MGEC)
Fundación Museo del Grabado Español
Contemporáneo de Marbella, Málaga y
Mención Honorífica en la V y VI Bienal
Internacional de Ex Libris de Contratalla,
Tarragona; Primer Premio en la VIII Bienal
de Grabado Ciudad de Borja, Zaragoza; y
Mención Honorífica en el II Premio Atlante
de Grabado Fundación Museo de las
Artes del Grabado, Riveira, Coruña (2010);
167
 Opus 3
¿Creéis en mi sabiduría ? Ved dónde estoy posado.

168
Ganadora del X Premio de Grabado Ciudad
de Lleida, Cercle de Belles Arts, 2009; Primer
Premio IV Centenario del Quijote, III Bienal
Internacional de Contratalla, Tarragona, 2006;
Primer Premio Internacional de Grabado Vila
de Cebreros “El Quexigal”, Ávila, y Primer
Premio II Bienal Internacional de Brabado
Contratalla, Tarragona, 2004. La obra de
Yolanda Carbajales está representada en
España y extranjero, en distintas colecciones
públicas y privadas como en la Colección de
los Museos Municipales de Allariz, Ourense
y Ribadavia (Ourense); Casa da Cultura
de Camos y Colección Museo Diocesano
de Tui (Pontevedra); Ayuntamiento de A
Coruña, Porto do Son; Culleredo y de Brión
(Coruña); Colección Caja de Ahorros de
Ávila; Entidad Els Catòlics d’Olot de Girona;
Fundación Antonio Pérez de Cuenca; Casa
Museo del poeta Javier de la Rosa, Agaete,
Gran Canaria; Museo del Grabado Castillo
de los Paleólogos de Acqui Terme, Italia;
Archivo de Grabadores Contemporáneos de
la Biblioteca Nacional de Madrid etc.

Opus 4
El amor, que es alado, vuela siempre hacia la luz.
La luz es belleza, la belleza, luz.

169
 SENSIBILITY, CREATIVITY AND CRAFT IN ENGRAVINGS
YOLANDA CARBAJALES
A few years back, I came across, almost
simultaneously, with both a set of fantastic
engravings and their creator, Yolanda
Carbajales, a one of a kind woman who
manages to infuse her best traits in her works:
charm, joy, sensitivity and beauty.
Yolanda Carbajales, through her mezzotints,
is able to create images, existing in the form
of darkness, which transcend words and
thought, giving birth to whole new universes
out of the sheer creative desire that formed
them. From the depths of their shadows
emerges beauty, in tones ranging from the
darkest, infinite black to the purest of whites.
Her images, created by means of the Manière
Noire technique, are far from being ordinary
ones, each one of them reflecting the utmost
care and planning taken during their creation
and following precise rules and patterns
which open the gates of vast new worlds of
perception to all those who behold them.
Their matrixes are the pillars of uniqueness,
giving birth and shape to a wide multiplicity
of tangible thoughts and feelings and turning
them into windows of contemplation.
By manner – translating from the French name
of this craft – we understand the particular
way of thinking, acting, talking and doing
things that each of us has, and indeed there
are good and bad manners for everything,
but in order to achieve spectacular results
and prowess such as these, both technical
and artistic, in a mezzotint engraving, good
manners, flawless professionalism and
savoir-faire are in order, which Yolanda
Carbajales clearly possesses and exhibits as a
trademark of her work.
The "Manière Noire" technique, also known
as “mezzotint” or half-tone engraving,
170
consists of obtaining white reliefs out
of a base tonal black, and despite these
engravings have traditionally been realized
in black in order to create sheer beauty out of
the contrast with the whiteness of the paper
in which they are stamped.
Yolanda Carbajales, out from the darkness in
the form of geometrical beauty cast on copper
or zinc surfaces, is able to create images that
burst into paper and display through shape
the purest vibration of the sublime.
Indeed to you, "Manière Noire", can be applied
the words attributed to the Black Virgin in
the Song of Songs during the Middle Ages:
“Negra sum sed Formosa”, “Black I am, yet
beautiful”, for from your deep darkness are
born the lights of grace, reason and beauty,
as found in Yolanda Carbajales` engravings.
I think the relationship, friendship and
love for the engraving and in my case also
bookplates were what motivated that Yolanda
would contribute her art in the execution
of some small works, created by friendship
and complicity, I mean the bookplates were
titled, among others, “Contratalla”, myself
and the latest dedicated the next Congress of
exlibrists to be celebrated in our region.
There are not many in number, but of great
quality, Yolanda’s bookplates, but surely
time, ability and talent will increase the
number, so it takes time for the world of ex
libris to be enriched with the input from the
artist Yolanda Carbajales.
All the captions to the illustrated examples of
Yolanda Carbajales's ex libris are in artist's own
words.
 Opus 5
Del tiempo y de las heridas que conlleva, brota
la inmortalidad, como una fuente de placer y de
sabiduría inagotables.

171
Listado cronológico de los ex libris de
Yolanda Carbajales
2006
1 [Proyecto] C7
IV Centenario del Quijote,
III Bienal Internacional
“Contratalla”, Tarragona
Don Quijote
2009
2 75º Aniversario C7
Fallecimiento de Nóvoa
Santos y 25º Aniversario
de la creación de la
SOGAMI (Sociedad Gallega
de Medicina Interna)
Inmortalidad
2010
3 Contratalla C7
V Bienal Internacional
“Contratalla”, Tarragona
Sabiduría
4 Marià Casas C7
El sueño de Aphrodite
5 Marià Casas Hierro C7
Casa de Marià y enrejado
de Gaudí
2011
6 [Proyecto] C7
VI Bienal Internacional
“Contratalla”, Tarragona
Nudo. Alusión al “punto
y final” de un libro
2012
7 [Proyecto] C7
XXXV Congrés FISAE,
Tarragona, 2014
Sabiduría
8 [Proyecto] C7
XXXV Congrés FISAE,
Tarragona, 2014
Dragón de la entrada de la
Casa Güell en Barcelona

Opus 1
Mirad profundamente. Son los libros quienes me han llevado a la sabiduría,
que para algunos es locura.

172
 AYSEN
, ERTE
The artist in her own words
I encountered ex libris for the first time
in Bratislava at the Illustration Biennial
in 1999. There were twelve sheets of A3
size illustrations in Mrs. Güner Eren’s
"Kel Kız" book produced with original
edition techniques (etching, aquatint, hand
coloured). During trips to Bratislava I also
encountered at the II Exlibris Triennal
European Exlibris Meeting the book for 1998.
The book was exciting. When I returned
to Istanbul, I was invited to the exhibition
at and to membership of the Istanbul
Academy Exlibris Association, the first
exlibris association established in Istanbul.
Later I met Professor Hasip Pektaş, having
entered my works in competitions. I also
joined the Istanbul Exlibris Association that
had been founded in Ankara.

I took part in cruises during my last two

years of education at the Istanbul State
Academy of Fine Arts with Azra Erhat’s
“Mavi Yolculuk” group. To see and feel
the natural life and archaeological heritage
of the Mediterranean Sea generated in me
an unquenchable fire. I had a new sense
and desire for exploration and production.
During my five years master’s degree
in graphic design, my speciality was
photography. I was being noticed in the
black and white competitive exhibitions
in which I participated. But this was not
enough for me. I began to use original edition
techniques and, as a result, discovered more
of myself. In the following years, I formed
the foundations of my work on canvas
and mixed media from original edition
techniques. In recent years, I expanded into
the traditional printed ex libris.
I established my engraving and picture art
studio in 2001. I tried to teach techniques
of original edition and introduce ex libris
Opus 13
I have created this birdhouse for
my spouse using CRD technique;
my spouse's profession and hobby
is to create beautiful spaces, houses,
as a decorative painter.
to artists who came to my art studio.
I drew their attention to domestic and
international competitions and exhibitions.
Our first international success was to attend
XXXII China-Beijing International Exlibris
Biennial Exhibition with eleven artists from
Turkey. In San Min Cup one Turkish artist
from our art studio received a special award
from Turkey. Seven foreign artists’ and our
artist’s works on display in San Min Cup
were included in the catalog. In 2012 we

173
 Opus 16
I have created this for myself using CRD technique. I love this slender, graceful, energizing
wild flower that can penetrate and survive even in the hardest rocks and stones.

attended XXXIV FISAE Naantali-Finland
International Congress exhibition with eight
people from Turkey and proudly represented
our country. This was the first trip to a FISAE
Congress. We were delighted. To exchange
bookplates with other artists and collectors
from the world exlarged our horizons. To
understand that everybody can enter into
a dialogue through ex libris makes me feel
that it is not an utopian idea that we may
all live in peace. I usually choose the sea,
nature, and archeology as themes using
original edition techniques in my pictures
and ex libris. I believe that the subjects of my
works have symbolic values. The butterflies
symbolize the eternal idea of freedom,
daisies are the symbol of purity, standing as
delicate, flexible, powerful, elegant; poppies
are colorful door knockers representing
the power of love in equivalent colors. The
purpose is to communicate the sharing of
loneliness and this power. I believe this will
open many doors to friendships. And the
birdhouses are symbol of peaceful hands
which require assistance.
Ayşen Erte

174
 Ayşen Erte
Curriculum vitae
Ayşen Erte was born in İstanbul, Turkey.
She studied piano during her primary and
secondary years of education. She graduated
from the High Decorative Arts Graphics
Department of the State Academy of Fine
Arts at İstanbul in 1976. Until 1988, she
worked as a graphic artist in various agencies,
beginning in that year to design children’s
books. According greater importance to
original prints and painting, she established
the Ayşen Erte Engraving-Painting Atelier.
Opus 14
I designed this bookplate depicting a colourful
birdhouse for my husband, who builds
beautiful homes. CDR.
Ayşen Erte
Ayşen Erte has had 22 group exhibitions, of
which seven were in Anatolia (Kaş, Antalya,
Adana, İzmir, Ordu, Mardin, Ankara). She
participated in a group exhibition of the
İstanbul Exlibris Academy Association at
Roddi D’Alba Chateau with her atelier in 2008
and in the 32nd China Beijing International
Biennial and in Serbia Pancevo together with
five artists from her atelier, as well as the 2010
China Guangzhou I International Exlibris
and Mini-Prints Biennal with seven artists,
2012 China Shanghai Fu Xian Zhai Exlibris
Society 2011”San Min Cup”with seven artists,
and the 2012 XXXIV FİSAE Naantali-Finland
international ex libris congress exhibition
with seven artists from her atelier. Her art
works were exhibited at “Exlibris Lions
2010” at Liguria, Italy, where the theme of the
occasion was “Exlibris Mediterranean 2010”.
Individual art works have been included
in 23 prize competitions. She received eight
honorable mentions. In particular, her works
were exhibited in five different cities in Japan
and Bratislava and are represented in various
private collections in Turkey, Japan, Slovakia,
Germany, United States, Austria, England
and among some others in the İMOGA
Graphic Arts Museum and Dogus University.
She also organizes educational seminars.
175
 Opus 19
To me, chamomiles represent the pure spirit of the nature.
I have created this ex libris using CRD technique because I always want
to feel that spirit inside me.

176
 Opus 29
These flowers withstand any living conditions, are energetic, aesthetic, graceful
and slender in their red colors; they penetrate rocks and stones, being symbols
of gentle yet strong personalities. I designed this ex libris using CRD technique
for Latife Bastug, the Chairperson for the Istanbul Exlibris Academy.

177
 Opus 28
I have created this ex libris using CRD technique for Olli Ylönen,
Chairman of the Finnish Exlibris Association. Finns are people who love nature,
green trees and grass, and flowers.

178
 Opus 26
I have created this ex libris using CRD technique
for Professor Hasip Pektas, Chairman of the
Istanbul Exlibris Society, who has a colorful,
artistic personality and who approaches people
around him in a spirit of unconditional love
and mutual help and who tries to spread
knowledge of ex libris.

Opus 27
The birdhouses were built on the facades enjoying
the most sunlight on large buildings having artistic
quality in Istanbul during Ottoman Empire as
a symbol of unconditional love, helpfulness. I
have created this ex libris using CRD technique
for my esteemed Professor Süleyman Saim
Tekcan, a creator of the graphic arts, founder
of IMOGA- Istanbul Graphic Arts Museum,
art educator.

179
 Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Ayşen Erte
2007 2012 2012 2012
1 Cengiz Bektaş 15 Ayşen Erte 2 0/22 Cemil Erte 26 Prof. Hasip
Bird house CRD CRD Pektaş
2/P2, C3, C4, C5 Bird house Bird house CRD
16 Ayşen Erte 23 Ayşen Erte Bird house
2009 CRD CRD 27 Prof. Süleyman
2/3 Cengiz Bektaş Poppy Bird house Saim Tekcan
3/P2, C3, C4 17/18 Ayşen Erte 24 Doğu Erte CRD
Bird house CRD 2/P2,C3,C4,C5/col. Bird house
4 Cengiz Bektaş Poppies Flowers by Aysen 28 Ylönen Olli
3/P2, C3, C4, C5/col. 19 Ayşen Erte 25 Batu Erte CRD
Bird house CRD 2/P2,C3,C4,C5/col. Poopies
2010 Daisy Flowers by Ayşen 29 Latife Baştuğ
5 Cemil Erte CRD
2/P2, C3, C4/col. Poopies
Bird house
6 Ayşen Erte
2/P2, C3, C4, C5/col.
Bird house
7 Serbian Pançevo
CRD
Danube River
8/10 Lions
CRD
Door Knocker

2010
11 The Mediterranean
CRD
Bodrum
12 The Mediterranean
CRD
Kalkan
2011
1 3/14 Cemil Erte
CRD
Bird house

Opus 23
This ex libris is for myself using CRD technique.
I have always approached people around me with
unconditional love and mutual help and have
always been happy since my childhood.

180
 Artist portrait of
Safiya Piskun
Michael Gryksa
At graphic/ex libris meetings and congresses
in recent years we encountered severals
new artists from “eastern neighbours”.
Well-trained in graphic skills, they were
extensively commissioned by collectors.
One such artist, a young lady, comes from
Minsk. Her name is Safiya Piskun. Besides
her profound connection to nature and her
positive charisma, you can see her high
standard of training in the graphic arts and
her impressive skills in the classic techniques.
Safiya was born on 14 July 1982 in Minsk,
Belarus, the second daughter of a pair of
artists: Elena Jurieva and Jury Piskun. Her
parents and her two sisters are artists, so she
Safiya Piskun
181
grew up surrounded by art. She is famous
for her large etchings and very detailed
watercolours, but no less for the many
children-books she has illustrated. A special
talent is portraits in oil on canvas, see the
attached illustration “Lady in Red” (p. 183).
From 1992 to 2000 Safiya Piskun studied
at the Art Gymnasium in Minsk, called
the "Art-college". During this period, she
also mastered the German language. From
2000 to 2006 She pursued her studies at the
Belorussian State Art Academy in Minsk
and special education for graphic arts with
Professors Slavuk and Savitsch. In 2003 she
participated in the international "Summer-
Seminar" for young artists in Krzyzowe
(Poland), where she was nominated for the
first prize of this competition and, in the
same year, she designed her first ex libris
for "Krzyzowe". Her first educational trip to
182
Germany was with the support of Deutscher
Akademiker-Auslands-Dienst (DAAD) to
Dresden, Köln, Berlin, and Münster. Her
diploma work – a suite of five etchings each
100 cm x 60 cm entitled “My Town” – under
the direction of Professor Vladimir Savitsch
(2006). Later, in the years 2006 and 2007,
awarded a Masterstipendium of DAAD
for free graphics at the Academy of Art
in Münster. During this time, she learned
much in the field of art, while perfecting her
command of the German language. At the
moment she is very active in the field of ex
libris design. Her preferred techniques are:
etching on zinc-plates, while experimenting
with "partial gilding" (using gold-leaf!). Her
main themes are: fairy tales, town-views
(living architecture), landscapes and animals.
It is remarkable that Safiya Piskun not only
etches and engraves with a creative style, but
also produces every print by hand herself – if
When Safiya finished her studies at the Academy of Art in Minsk she had the chance to work in the ateliers
of the Academy for some time. But she has to prove that she received the best education and is a good
artist. Safiya painted a self-portrait – oil on canvas – utilizing traditional techniques. The theme was free
and she worked on the picture about 3 to 6 months. This portrait measures of 100 x 70 cm and is in the
style of traditional Russian painting. As you can see, the result is perfect !!!

183
you have an ex libris by her you know that it
is done by the artist from the first line until
the finished work. Everything is a personal
work of art in her own hand. Beginning from
the simple sketch up to the finely detailed
watercolour-technique, from the gouache
to the oil-paintings on canvas (she has done
several portraits); but close to her heart are
the techniques of etching and aquatint.
Therefore Safiya has completed in recent
years many “miniature graphics”. Some are
used as book-illustrations, but several are
184
ex libris. She had made some small hand-
bound books with her original etchings in
limited editions.
In her architectural-motifs Safiya tries to
visualize and understand a town as a living
organic body which changes its face and its
mood daily and to bring this to the surface of
the paper, as pictures of harmony. It will be
interesting to see in the future what her next
artistic accomplishments will be and how her
talents will mature. I have no doubt that we
will be pleased.
185
186
187
Chronological checklist of ex libris by
Safiya Piskun
The many varied techniques used for ex libris by the artist Safiya Piskun include etching (C3),
drypoint (C4), aquatint (C5), soft-ground or other ground-based etching (C6) and mezzotint (C7).

2003 2012 2012 2012

1 Krzyzowe 16 Vaclav Herman 23 Vincent 28 Wolfgang Hönle
Krzyzowe Town Labyrinth Ostermann Gold Search
17 Jan Heger L’Alouette 29 Hugo Viaene
2008
Swineherd 24 Walter Erlking
2 Safiya Piskun
18 Brigitte Esche Humpelstötter
Owl 2013
City of Tieves At heart
19 Shen Yanxiang 25 Anton Vetterle 30 Henry Klein
2009
Doors game Venice Cup Pettus Sally and
3 Erwin Immekus
20 Xu Yun 26 Horstfried the Ghosts on the
Pilgrim
In the river Shadows 10th anniversary
4 Hermann
21 Luigi Bergomi Collection of 9 November
J. Immekus
Dream City 27 Ludek Kriz

31 Yu Jiang
Path to Freedom
22 Luigi Bergomi Birds Library Trail
5 Valentina Piskun
Lily From the Stars
6 T. M.
Bird
2010
7 A. Bychko
Boat
8 Klaus Rödel
Wine
9 Norbert
Hillerbrand
MK. 7:15
2011
10 Birgit
Göbel-Stiegler
Travel
11 Helge Larsen
Wine
12 Anna Klimenok
Contemplation
13 H. Becker-
Bickerich
The Little Prince
14 Michael Gryksa
My home is
my castle
15 Karl Kröger
Unread History

188
 INDEX

Tamara Balenko 5/14 Maurizia Marini 41/50

5186 Garden Grove Ave. Via S. D’Acquisto 2/26
Tarzana, CA 91356 I – 16138 Genova
U. S. A. Italy
E-mail: tamara@tamarabalenko.com E-mail: fli_flo@hotmail.com
Website: www.tamarabalenko.com
www.facebook.com/tamara.balenko Hilary Paynter 51/58
Tel.: 1 818 343 1301 Brunswick House
Torridge Hill. Bideford
Concha Ibáñez 15/24 Devon EX39 2BB
Gran Vía de les Corts Catalanes, 685 Elo. 1ª England
E – 08013 Barcelona E-mail: hilarypaynter@yahoo.com
Spain Tel.: 01237 479679
Website: www.conchaibanez.es
Tel.: + 932 324 791 H. Müjde Ayan 59/66
Marmara Üniversitesi
Aki Miyajima 25/32 Atatürk Eǧitim Fak.
3-14-25-706 Chuo-honcho, Güzel Sanatlar Eǧitimi Böl
Adachi-ku Resim-is Eǧt. Böl.
Tokyo 121- 0011 Göztepe – Istanbul
Japan Turkey
E-mail: aki@doumuhanga.jp E-mail: mujdeayan@hotmail.com
Website: www.aki-remains.com Website: www.mujdeayan.com
Tel.: 090 8564 5292
Marzanna Mucha 67/70
Elena Kiseleva 33/40 Ul. St. Moniuszki 52
Krasnoamejski pr. 13/7 Kv. 32 PL – 22- 600 Tomaszów Lubelski
188307 Gatschina Poland
Leningrader Gebiet E-mail: mucha4@wp.pl
Russia
E-mail: kiseleva2501@gmail.ru Bai Yiru 71/78
Website: www.artrussian.com/kiselyova 2-4-401 Li Dong Xiao Qu
Tel.: + 7 911 75 78 456 No. 95 Shan Da South Rd.
Jinan City
Shandong Province 250013
P. R. China

189
Marina Terauds 79/88 Nurgül Arikan 121/130
4081 Five Lakes Road Gökyüzü Residence Neptün 4
North Branch Cumhuriyet Cad. Göktürk
Michigan 48461 Eyüp-Istanbul
U. S. A. Turkey
E-mail: marina@marinaterauds.com E-mail: nurgularikan@gmail.com

Hélène Nué 89/96 Chen Xiaofeng 131/136

Bon Acquêt 8-605 Faculty Quarters of Hong
F – 44840 Les Sorinières Ling High School
Loire-Atlantique No. 2027 Yuan Ling Nine Str.
France Hong Ling Middle Rd.
E-mail: hngrave@gmail.com Futian Dist., Shenzhen City
Website: http://gravurehelene.blogspot.fr Guangdong Province 518028
P. R. China
Stéphanie Bos 97/102 E-mail: to_cxf@126.com
Helveld 25/102 Tel.: + 86-135 704 770 73
B – 1745 Opwijk
Belgium Marina Kupkina 137/142
E-mail: bosstephanie@hotmail.com Koltsova blvd. 15 Kv. 116
Website: www.stephaniebos.be 03194 Kyiv
Tel.: 0032 (0) 486 08 56 98 Ukraine
E-mail: kupkinam@rambler.ru
Theodora Chandrinou 103/108 Website: www.kupkina.com
P. O. Box 16857 Tel.: + 38 097 330 71 83
115 02 Athens
Greece Nele Zirnīte 143/148
E-mail: arteducate@gmail.com Irlavas Street 4-22
LV – 1046 Riga
Olga Krupenkova 109/116 Latvia
Romanovskaya Sloboda 9-52 E-mail: nele.zirnite@gmail.com
220004 Minsk Website: www.nelezirnite.com
Belarus Cel.: + 371 283 900 77
E-mail: olga.krupenkova@gmail.com
Website: www.krupenkovi.com Anastasia Zykina 149/158
Tel.: + 375 29 368 56 06 Mokhovaja str. 15
+ 375 17 200 32 22 Likhatchev Foundation
(to D. Severjukhin)
Marta Wartalska 117/120 191 028 St. Petersburg
Ul. Staffa 30 Russia
PL – 42-311 Zarki Letnisko E-mail: anastezia_78@mail.ru
Poland Tel.: + 7 911 11 48641
E-mail: wartalskamarta@gmail.com
Tel.: (+ 48) 509 318 837

190
Liubov Abramova 159/166
Kiseleva st. 31-6
220029 Minsk Çakmak – Çamhk mah.
Belarus
E-mail liubov.art@gmail.com
Website: www.artliubov.com
Tel.: + 375 295 584 889
Yolanda Carbajales 167/174
Avda. Aeropuerto 7 – 4º A
E – 36206 Vigo (Pontevedra)
Spain
E-mail: yolandacarbajales@gmail.com
Ayṡen Erte 175/182
Turan Emeksiz sok. no. 23
Ümraniyc – Istanbul 34774
Turkey
E-mail: ertesanat@yahoo.com
Website: www.aysenerte.com
Tel.: + 90 216 420 48 86
Safiya Piskun 183/188
Russijanov str. 18, 580
220141 Minsk
Belarus
E-mail: lasofia@yandex.ru
191
 CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL
EX-LIBRIS ARTISTS
Publicação concebida, organizada e dirigida
por Artur Mário da Mota Miranda.
Publication conceived, organized and directed
by Artur Mário da Mota Miranda.
Publication dirigée, conçue, réalisée et éditée
par Artur Mário da Mota Miranda.

Edição realizada em Junho de 2013,

numerada, com uma tiragem limitada a 150 exemplares.
Published in June 2013,
in a numbered edition limited to 150 copies.
Édition réalisée en Juin 2013,
numérotée, avec un tirage limité à 150 exemplaires.

Este volume 17, além da sua habitual edição, acresce uma tiragem
especial de 50 exemplares numerados em homenagem
às mulheres artistas sob o título:

WOMEN ARTISTS IN THE WORLD of EX-LIBRIS

Volume 17 is accompanied, in addition to the usual numbered edition, of 50 specially

numbered copies as a tribute to women
artists from throughout the world under the title:

WOMEN ARTISTS IN THE WORLD of EX-LIBRIS.

Os ex-libris incluídos neste volume

são reproduzidos nos exactos tamanhos
dos ex-libris originais.
The ex-libris reproduced in this volume
are in the same size as the originals.

Paginação e tratamento de imagem

Ana Maria Amorim

Grafismo
Artur Mário da Mota Miranda
arturmotamiranda@gmail.com

192