Art of this Century Gallery

The NEW Gallery of 21st CENTURY BOOKPLATE ARTISTS

Anyone who loves books can own a personalized ex libris. The only requirement is to have pride in your library. The exquisite ex libris prints shown here are original works of art, hand-printed on fine papers, and often signed in numbered editions.

Our "Gallery Page" exhibits personalized bookplate art by several contemporary artists. Here the artist has translated the owner’s ideas, tastes and interests in his/her unique style. Our online exhibition is organized alphabetically by country. The ASBC&D maintains current addresses for ex libris artists from more than 50 nations.

For those individuals, institutions with original artwork or printing plates, we can provide the fine lithography, letterpress printing or engraving that you require. Please contact our association for further information at: exlibrisusa@hotmail.com

Throughout the world today acknowledged masters of book illustration, printmaking, and design are producing these ex libris prints. Our 21st Century Gallery offers a small sample of the bookplate work that is being created today. Here are examples by just a few international artists:

21st CENTURY BOOKPLATE ARTISTS

Concepcion Elvira Provenzal  is a Mexican with a lifelong devotion to arts and crafts. Concepcion is an illustrator, painter and jeweler. She is the art director for the ASBC&D and has many bookplate designs on her checklist.

Concepcion Elvira was born in Mexico City.  At that time this culturally rich city was still only a small town of 5,000,000.  Her parents were both artists and her father was an entrepreneur. They had a popular arts & crafts gallery near the city center.

“I have always loved books and I enjoy working in a small format. The art of the bookplate satisfies both of these interests. I especially enjoy the design challenge and research involved in the creation of a personalized design.”

 

				Concepcion Elvira Provenzal

 

 

Take for example the award winning works of Ukrainian book illustrator, Sergey Hrapov. You can see his unique ex libris creation for my interests in American author H.P. Lovecraft.

Hrapov especially enjoys illustrating children's books -- peculiar looking birds perching, courageous mice playing flutes and smiling faces all exquisitely executed utilizing mixed etching techniques.

 

			Sergey Hrapov

 

 

Witness the works of Martin Baeyens from Belgium.  Baeyens is a master of multi-color serigraphy (screen printing) in a jazzy, abstract style.  Since 1965, he has created over 600 bookplates in his 40+ year career and has won no less than fifty awards internationally.

Baeyens seeks the challenge of producing a work of art on a small surface utilizing innovations, contemporary design, color and visual content.  He transitions back to abstraction and fewer elements.  "The less you use, the stronger and better the work becomes."   He finds that, "rumbling about with ex libris is warm and human and in addition to that it has a special cultural aspect."

When asked what makes a successful ex libris,  Baeyens replies,  "It should meet the collector's expectations.  Text and image have to go hand in hand harmoniously.  It has to be an artistically justified little print…"

 

				Martin Baeyens

 

 

Bookplate design is a lifelong passion for American artist, Serik Kulmeshkenov.  Born in Kazakhstan, Serik pursued a career in art & architecture before immigrating to the United States in 1993.

It was through an old newspaper article that he found at his mother’s house more than 30 years ago.  The article, “The Magic World of Ex Libris” was accompanied by several nice bookplate reproductions.  It was not how this story was written, but rather the concept behind this graphic art form that was thrilling.  Serik promptly sent a letter to the publisher of the article in Siberia.  Months later he received his reply from the author and artist Oleg Besedin along with a few superb bookplates.  This was the turning point as he had discovered the art of the bookplate!

He then had the good fortune of moving to Minneapolis.  It somehow seems appropriate that he should reside in a city where so much attention is given to the book arts.  Serik can now boast more than 300 engraved bookplates on his opus list and he has received 100’s of awards since 1985!
 

Serik Kulmeshkenov

 

 

The beautiful multicolor woodblock prints of artist Katsue Inoue are superb examples of Japanese printmaking.  She utilizes the traditionally meticulous processes involved in cutting the blocks and the prints are produced on the finest handmade papers. 

Katsue is a familiar figure with Japanese collectors and considered an important artist of our time.  Her ex libris range from abstract to portraiture, landscapes, flowers and naturally, her client's ideas.

 

Katsue Inoue

 

 

Roy Cooney is a retired cartographer from England.  Trained in the historic craft of copperplate engraving, he has continued his interests in engraving and printmaking with ex libris.

Many of Roy's commissions are family coats-of-arms although he has created many pictorial designs.  He also has special interests in producing limited edition prints of natural history and architectural subjects. In fact, the Royal Horticultural Society awarded Roy a Gold Medal in February 2000 for his botanical engravings.

He says,  "The last ten years working once again on copper have been a source of great pleasure.  It has also been an immense delight to have made so many friends… and, through participation in ex libris and miniature art exhibitions, to have been contacted by people from many parts of the world."

 

		Roy Cooney

 

 

Another ex libris artist/enthusiast from Belgium is engraver, Frank-Ivo Van Damme.  Frank-Ivo has designed nearly 1,000 ex libris earning an international reputation for his widely exhibited, award-winning works.

Many of his wood or copper engraved bookplates are of an erotic nature and highly collectible.  Van Damme's fascination with world literature is shown throughout his works.  As well, his interest in Greek and Roman mythology has always presented marvelous possibilities in his designs.  Frank-Ivo realizes the importance of the text complementing the illustration in the overall composition and strives for balance between these elements.

With regard to engraving he says, "Work is meditation.  I become one with the block of wood in front of me.  I form an intimate bond with this material. I lose every sense of time. Engraving is part of my life."

 

Frank-Ivo Van Damme
		.

 

                                                                                   

 

                                                                   ADDITIONAL ARTISTS

 

	ADDITIONAL ARTISTS:
	Ettore Antonini, Italy		Henk Blokhuis, Netherlands		Henk Blokhuis, Netherlands
	Patricia Nik-Dad, France		Patricia Nik-Dad, France		Elly DeKoster, Netherlands
	Derek Black, USA		Clara Hung, China		Oleg Yakhnin, Russia
	Keiko Tsurusawa, Japan		Joke Van Den Brandt, Belgium		Joke Van Den Brandt, Belgium
	Andrij Kens, Ukraine		Andrij Kens, Ukraine		Richard Wagener, USA
	Are you a bookplate artist? Find out how you can show your work here. Contact us at: exlibrisusa@hotmail.com		Yuri Borovitski, Russia		Yuri Borovitski, Russia

 

American Society of Bookplate Collectors & Designers, 5802 Bullock Loop, Suite C1 #84404, Laredo, Texas, USA 78041-8807

 

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Links to Other Ex Libris Sites

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