Academy in Lagado. 3th Sheet of the Series "Kingdom of the Absurd by Jonathan Swift"

Oleksandr Aksinin was a renowned Ukrainian graphic artist who lived and worked in Lviv. His mastery of etching, meticulous attention to detail, and intellectual depth in his works earned him the name “Lviv Dürer”.

Summary of Oleksandr Aksinin

Oleksandr Aksinin, a gifted Ukrainian artist, developed a unique symbolic language through his graphic works, which were deeply influenced by the cultural and intellectual environment of Lviv. His career spanned experimental phases in existential art, op art, and metaphysical compositions, where he combined philosophical inquiry with artistic innovation. Tragically passed in 1985, Aksinin’s profound legacy continues to resonate within the art world, celebrated for its intellectual depth and creative mastery.

Biography of Oleksandr Aksinin

The artist was born in 1949 into the family of military cartographer Dmytro Aksinin. He began his formal artistic education at an evening art school (1963–1966) and later studied at the Ukrainian Polygraphic Institute named after Ivan Fedorov in the graphics department from 1967 to 1972. Although he often neglected academic studies and skipped classes, he devoted significant time to self-education.

Between 1972 and 1977, Oleksandr Aksinin worked as an art editor in a publishing house, served in the Soviet army, and worked as an industrial designer. After 1977, he fully committed to his art, specializing in printed and drawn graphics.

Aksinin gained international recognition in the late 1970s when his etchings won the Medal of Honor at the International Biennale “Small Graphics Forms” in Łódź.

On May 3, 1985, Aksinin tragically died in a plane crash near Zolochiv, close to Lviv, while returning from Tallinn. He left behind a significant body of work, including 343 printed graphic works (mostly etchings), about 200 unique drawn pieces in watercolor, ink, and gouache, and five oil paintings.

Oleksandr Aksinin’s Famous Paintings: Between Precision and Philosophy

Aksinin’s early artistic vision was strongly influenced by his childhood experiences with the ancient architecture of Lviv, its museum collections, and the intellectual community in the city, which had a long tradition of book collecting.

His approach to color was uniquely graphic, used to enhance the composition rather than as a painterly expression. He developed a distinct symbolic system, merging philosophical concepts with imaginative symbols of his own invention. 

Even when drawing inspiration from literary classics, Aksinin avoided depicting specific characters or events, like in etchings such as “Academy in Lagado” or “Laputa-ІІ” from the “Kingdom of the Absurd by Jonathan Swift” Series. Instead, he delved into abstract themes like the nature of time and space and parallel realities. These conceptual explorations demanded active intellectual engagement from viewers.

One of Aksinin’s defining techniques was his seamless integration of text and imagery. His ex-libris series merged word and image into a unified artistic statement, like in “Ex Libris H. From the Etchings with the Novels of E. Buriakovska Series” or “Ex Libris for L. Haievska and O. Iutin”. 

His etchings, characterized by their extraordinary detail, reflected an unparalleled level of craftsmanship, where every millimeter of the surface was meticulously perfected. This precision did not detract from the emotional depth of his work; instead, it synthesized technical mastery with poetic lyricism.

These and other Oleksandr Aksinin’s paintings for sale are available at auction on the UFDA website.

Oleksandr Aksinin’s Art Style

Aksinin’s art style is a highly intellectual and symbolic realm, where imagery transcends the physical world to explore profound philosophical concepts. His works challenge viewers with their dense visual and textual structures, requiring active interpretation and a broad cultural knowledge base. 

Merging text with imagery, he creates unified compositions that resemble intricate “philosophical essays”. Aksinin’s art combines rational precision with personal emotion, resulting in works imbued with lyricism and deep contemplation. His art reflects on universal themes such as time, space, the human spirit, and the cosmos, offering a bridge between the rational and the mystical.