Ukraine

Agirba, Ruslan – Ukraine – Finalist

Ruslan Agirba  (b. 1957)
“The most interesting and noticeable events take place and will always take place in the name of love or because of it.”     


Ruslan Agirba was born in Batumi, Georgia.  He graduated from the graphics department of the Ukrainian Polygraphic Institute.  Today he works in graphic design and printmaking in Kiev, Ukraine.


Agirba has participated in hundreds of international exhibitions of free graphics and ex libris art in the USA, Mexico, Belgium, Italy, Canada, France, Netherlands, Sweden, and other countries. He has won dozens of international awards.

Agirba, Ruslan <agirba@ukr.net>

Gryniuk, Leontii – Ukraine – 3rd Prize

Leontii Gryniuk (b. 1950)
Leontii Gryniuk lives and works in Ukraine. 
1973 – Graduated from Odessa State College of Arts, Ukraine. 1982 – Graduated from Lvov State institute of Decorative and Applied Art, Ukraine. :Leontii works in the fields of painting, graphic arts, stained glass, and art glass. Participated in exhibitions in Ukraine and beyond its borders since 1982. He has been a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine starting in 1985. Since 1999 — Honored Artist of Ukraine.  His work is held in public, private, and museum collections worldwide.
Personal statement: “I thrive on the experience of sharing, learning, and development through communication.” 
EX LIBRIS: ” GEORGE STEINER” 175 x 93 mm, C4 – Drypoint 
Leontii Gryniuk,  PIROGOVA 3A – 70, VINNITSA 21018, UKRAINE

Gryniuk, Leontii <hriniuk@gmail.com>

Kirnitskiy, Sergey – Ukraine – Finalist

Sergey Kirnitskiy  (b. 1974)
1974 – was born in the city of Vinnitsa in Ukraine. 
1985 – 1986 – studied in a children’s art studio. 1986 – 1990. studied at Vinnitsa art school, 1990 -1994, – studied Drama in Odessa Art College specializing in the art of theatre and cinema. 1994-1995, – worked as the artist at Vinnitsa theatre. 1995-1996, – I met with David Bekker and studied and worked in his workshop. There I got acquainted with an engraving and an ex libris.  Through David Bekker I learned techniques for a dry needle and mezzotint and also techniques of a color seal. 
1998 – began active creative work and I continue creative cooperation with many collectors of ex-libris and to make new ex libris designs on different interesting themes.  I accepted invitations in the international competitions and exhibitions of ex libris. 2009 – I participated in an exhibition “The Eastern Light”, graphic works and ex libris by five Ukrainian artists. Vesime. Italy. 
2009 – Solo exhibition of an ex libris at Shanghai Fuxianzhai Ex Libris Museum. China. 
2009 – “The Celestial Sphere” – I received second prize, Biblioteca di Bodio Lomnago, Italy. I continue to take part in aii competitions for the Libraries of Bodio Lornnago.
2011 – 2014 – He had a fruitful collaboration with the Shanghai Ex Libris Museum and I have made many ex libris for Chinese collectors. 

Sergey Kirnitskiy, Korolenko 31/37, Vinnitsa 21001, Ukraine

Kirnitskiy, Sergey <kirnitskiysergey@gmail.com>

Koliadina, Irina – Ukraine

Irina Koliadina  (b. 1953)  
Ex Libris:  133 x 84, X3, 2020
Irina Koliadina,  Kalnishevsky 2-35, Dnipro 49051, Ukraine

Koliadina, Irina  <irkokolya@gmail.com>

Leonenko, Vasyl – Ukraine – Finalist

Ex Libris:  100 x 90, X3/2 

Vasyl Leonnenko,  Prospect Myru 255-24, 14007 Chernihui, Ukraine

Leonenko, Vasyl*   <vasiliyleonenko48@gmail.com>

Levitsky, Andrew – Ukraine

Andrew Levitsky, Kiev, Ukraine

Tolstoy, C3

Levitsky, Andrew  <levitskyadik@gmail.com>

Serdyuk, Oleksiy – Ukraine

Serdyuk, Oleksiy   Oleksiy Serdyuk,  St. Kobzarja 48,  76493 Kryhivtsi,  Ivano-Frankivsk,  Ukraine

Valchuk, Aleksandra – Ukraine

Aleksandra Valchuk (b. 1991)
Harmony and beauty are my professions. I try to catch the beauty of the world, capture the essence and harmony of everything around and show it to the viewer.
I love engraving for its clarity. Everything is in its place there: every stroke is verified, there is no accident in it. Printing every print is a magical process. Here you cannot be sure of the result, since each print is special. And it takes your breath away when you pick up the paper from the board.
My work is true, filled with love.
I was born in a small village. After school I enrolled on a course at the Odessa State Academy of Building and Architecture which I completed in 2013. I had my first group exhibition in 2009, and solo exhibitions in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2020. I work with engraving, painting and murals. I also teach the art of engraving and other various courses. I live in Odessa with my husband and two little sons.Aleksandra Valchuk, Genezala Shrygina  Ste 6, Apt 12, Odessa, Ukraine  65049

Valchuk, Aleksandra   <sasha.valchuk@gmail.com>

Denys Zozulia – Ukraine

Denis Zozulya  (b. 1980)  Poltava, Ukraine

Graduated from the Primary-Science Institute of Arts and Culture “Lugansk National University of Taras Shevchenko.”

Member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine.

Pratsyuyu in graphic original and traditional techniques.   I also think creatively in the field of documentary films. I take part in regional and international exhibitions and festivals.


I was inspired by George Steiner:

“What I affirm is the intuition that where God’s presence is no longer a tenable supposition and where His absence is no longer felt, indeed overwhelming weight, certain dimensions of thought and creativity are no longer attainable”.

The letter “Aleph” as the main sign of many alphabets symbolizes the basis of George Steiner’s creativity.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/denis.zozulia/

Website: zzzz.in.ua

Zozulia, Denys   <z.z.z.z@bigmir.net>

USA

Crocker, Daniel – USA

Daniel Crocker, Emerson College, Boston, MA, USA

Crocker, Daniel  <daniel_crocker@emerson.edu>

Heigel, Amanda – USA

Amanda Heigel – Idaho, USA 

Amanda Heigel is a printmaker from Idaho.  She works with linocuts, woodcuts, colographs, intaglio, serigraphs, and letterpress.  
This entry for our Tribute to George Steiner is entitled, “Legendary”.  It is made from overlapping layers of hot foil in both black & gold.  To make the type she handset brass matrices into a centering stick and cast the type, line by line, on a Ludlow Typograph machine. The quote was pulled from “The Deeps of the Sea and Other Fiction”.  The lines of cast type were trimmed to size and set into the chase of a hot foil stamping machine, editioned onto black paper with black foil, trimmed to size and then stamped again with the gold foil on top, forcing the quoted text into the background.  
Amanda Heigel, 912 Lost Mile Road, Bonners Ferry, Idaho, USA,  83805

Heigel, Amanda  <amandaheigel@gmail.com>

Kashinskiy, Igor – USA – Finalist

Igor Kashinskiy (b. 1982)-Washington, USA                                                              

Igor Kashinskiy is originally from Saint Petersburg, Russia and moved to Washington State in 2001.  He brings to the USA his talents in etching.  Igor primarily works with mezzotints and offers us a personal statement regarding George Steiner along with one example from his first ex libris prints.   

Recently, I read the book Educatedby Tara Westover where she recalled her experience of studying with the professor George Steiner.  I was very impressed by his teaching approach and the way he guided his students through their studies.  Steiner once said I learned early on that rabbimeans teacher, not priest.   I was coming back to this quote while working on my ex libris Teacher.

There is no doubt that Steiner’s contribution to language and translation studies have been paramount.  My ex libris entries are inspired by this.

http://www.igorarts.com/default.htm

Igor Kashinskiy,16215 NE 19th St, Bellevue, WA, USA 98008

Kashinskiy, Igor <igorkashinskiy@hotmail.com>

Kent, Christopher – USA – Finalist

Christopher Kent, (b. 1956), California, USA  

Christopher Kent is an artist living in California. He studied graphic design and went on to earn a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of California at Berkeley.

Bookplates have always been a part of Christopher’s life. His designs include scenes from nature, architecture, and the interests of the individual commissioning the plate. Each is a world in itself in which he can exert total control. 

Kent’s bookplates, drawings, designs, and works in watercolor have been exhibited throughout the United States. He serves on the ASBC&Ds Board.

Christopher Kent, PGAdesign, 444 17th Street, Oakland, CA, USA 94612

Kent, Christopher* <cwkent100@gmail.com>

Russo, Anthony – USA – Finalist

Anthony Russo (b. 1949) – Rhode Island, USA  

Anthony Russo has been a longtime friend of the art of ex libris.  He was a participant in Cambridge Bookplate’s two editions of American Artists of the Bookplate (1990 & 1996).  You may have seen his work as a book illustrator or nationwide editorial illustrator.  To learn more, see the article below from our BUZZ newsletter. 

With regards to the “Tribute to George Steiner” he has this to say:

I was impressed by Mr. Steiner’s love of the written word, his poetic sensibilities, and historical interest in the origins of language. That is why I used the image of the Tower of Babylon, an ancient icon.    

FROM “BOOKPLATE BUZZ” VOL 1, NO 3: 

American Artists of the Bookplate: Anthony Russo (b. 1949)

“The international community of bookplate collectors and designers points to the fact that our common language is a visual one and this language springs from our common humanity.” A.R.

Anthony Russo is a popular American illustrator from Rhode Island.  Known for his editorial and book illustrations, he is a longtime friend of the bookplate. He was an active participant in both editions of Cambridge Bookplate’s American Artists of the Bookplate (1990 & 1996).  

Russo’s client list includes the Washington Post, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and a countless number of nationwide newspapers and magazines.   His graphic works can be seen regularly in illustrated books for Random House, HarperCollins, and David R. Godine.  As well, we have many fine examples in the ASBC&Ds collection.

Anthony Russo works with scratchboard, linoleum cuts, woodcuts, computer-generated design, and pen & ink.  He has taught illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence and Parsons School of Design in New York City.

Anthony Russo, 58 Willow Avenue, Little Compton, RI, USA 02837

Russo, Anthony <antrusso@aol.com>

Terauds, Marina – USA – 2nd Prize

Marina Terauds, Michigan, USA

Marina Terauds was born in Angarsk, Russia.  Her family moved to Latvia when Marina was 8 years old. She earned an MFA from Latvian State Academy of Art in Printmaking and second MFA from Latvian State University in Pedagogy in Riga, Latvia.   In Academy of Arts Marina studied with important ex libris artists Peter Upitis and Gunar Krollis.  She now lives in Michigan and primarily works with etching techniques.

My ex libris for George Steiner, “The Voyager”, was inspired by the importance of literature (books) and reading in his life (and in all peoples lives).

I love this quote from Steiner’s obituary notice:

I’d love to be remembered as a good teacher of reading, he told The Paris Review in 1994.  Characteristically, he had a specific, lofty notion of reading as a moral callingHe added,It shouldcommit us to a vision, should engage our humanity, and should make us less capable of passing by.

 

Marina Terauds, 4081 Five Lakes Road, North Branch, Michigan, USA 48461

Terauds, Marina <maksutova@hotmail.com>