Henry Klein has for decades been an integral conduit between United States audiences and central and eastern European printmakers. Through kleinprint, his Los Angeles-based business, he has had a particularly long interest in what he describes as “small format” graphic arts. Over many years, Klein commissioned ex libris  prints (also known as bookplates) from a wide range of artists in Europe. Potentially marking books from Klein’s personal library, the range of artists who created these images represents well the diversity and creative energy of the graphic arts in central and eastern Europe. All of the works are quite small, most ranging in size from about 8×6 to 2×3 inches.

While artworks from central and eastern Europe are not a central focus of the AP/RC, the opportunity to include in this print collection a body of comparative works from elsewhere in the world was of critical significance to us. Klein’s gift of over fifty of his commissioned ex libris prints from artists working in Russia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Germany, Ukraine and other countries add rich and unexplored context to our core collections. The AP/RC is fortunate to have such a friend as Klein and we are grateful to him for his 2019 and 2020 donations.

Klein has long been active in American and European printmaking. He is a professor emeritus at Los Angeles Valley College where he directed the printmaking laboratory and served as head of the art department. In addition he has served on the boards of Southern Graphics Council International, the Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts at UCLA’s Hammer Museum and the American Print Alliance.

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Martin Baeyens (born 1943, Belgian); Mikaela Siobahn Sanders, 2010; inkjet; 71×182 mm

Krzystof Marek Bak (Polish); Black Hole & Dinosaur Extinction – EXLIBRIS KLEINPRINT, 2019; inkjet; 139×104 mm

Krzystof Marek Bak (Polish); Environmental Pollution Lever – EXLIBRIS KLEINPRINT, 2019; inkjet; 76×48 mm

Nikolay Nikolaevich Batakov (born 1949, Russian); Nove Minotaurus, 2003; etching; 157×213 mm

Leo Bednarik (Slovak); Twin Towers of Babel, 2004; etching, dry point; 221×145 mm

Yurij Borovitsky (born 1955, Russian); From Point A to Point B – EXL KLEINPRINT, 2017; mezzotint, blind embossing; 95×79 mm

Yurij Borovitsky (born 1955, Russian); Centaurus – ExL KLEINPRINT, 2003; mezzotint; 144×140 mm

Jiri Brazzda (born 1952, Czech); Akt (nude) – Ex Libris kleinprint, 2013; engraving, drypoint, mezzotint; 146×96 mm

Jiri Brazda (born 1952, Czech); Backwards Town, 2001; engraving, drypoint, mezzotint; 212×147 mm

Jan Cernos (born 1982, Czech); Holofernes – Ex Libris kleinprint, 2008; etching, drypoint, mezzotint, hand coloring; 242×63 mm

Jan Cernos (born 1982, Czech); Dabel (RTG Devil – The Devil’s Child), EX LIBRIS KLEINPRINT, 2013; mezzotint; 50×158 mm

Konstantin Chmutin (born 1953, Russian); Seabed II – EXL KLEINPRINT, 2009; mezzotint; 139×89 mm

Oleg Denisenko (born 1961, Ukrainian); Twins Dialogue – EX LIBRIS KLEINPRINT, 2013; etching; 194×148 mm

Karol Felix (born 1961, Slovak); Third Tower, Ex Libris Henry F. Klein, IV; mezzotint; 127×84 mm

Vladimir Gazovic (born 1939, Czech); Nove Minotaurus, 2004; lithograph; 221×133 mm

Jan Hisek (born 1965, Czech); EXL KLEINPRINT, 2016; mezzotint; 118×78 mm

Sergij Jurijovych Hrapov (born 1956, Ukranian); Search of the Compromise – Ex Libris kleinprint, 2004; drypoint and aquatint; 152×110 mm

Gunter Hujber (Czech); Queen of Time – Ex Libris kleinprint (Henry Klein), 2018; etching, metal punch; 146×117 mm

Robert Jancovic (born 1958, Slovak); Podpera (Propping Up) – Ex Libris kleinprint, 2006; mezzotint; 85×100 mm

Robert Jancovic (born 1981, Slovak); Spoj (Connection), 1999; mezzotint; 216×178 mm

James Janicek (born 1935, Canadian by birth living in the Czech Republic); Dove Minotaurus – EX LIBRIS KLEINPRINT, 2003; etching; 99×81 mm

Anna Tikhonova Jordanova (born 1977, Belarusian residing in Bulgaria); Ship of fools – ex eroticus kleinprint, 2007; engraving, roulette on plastic with string; 90×145 mm

Onnik Karanfilian (born 1963, Bulgarian); Eclipse – EX LIBRIS HENRY KLEIN, 2016; aquatint, drypoint; 160×118 mm

Olga Keleinikova (born 1953, Russian); March Cats – ExLibris Lyn Charlsen Klein, 2010; etching; 138×106 mm

Jelena Kisseljowa (Russian); Robot Dance – EX LIBRIS KLEINPRINT, 2018; etching, hand coloring; 120×119 mm

Natalie Lamanova (Russian Asian); Air Mail – Ex Libris kleinprint, 2005; inkjet; 146×206 mm

Zhiufko Mutafchief (Bulgarian); Apotheosis or Irresponsibility – Ex Libris Henry Klein, 2019; lithograph; 132×90 mm

Yuriy Anatolyevich Nozdrin (born 1949, Russian); 2 of Spades – Exlibris H & L Klein, 2010; etching, aquatint, hand coloring; 89×57 mm

Yuriy Anatolyevich Nozdrin (born 1949, Lithuanian); Nove Minotaurus, 2003; etching; 261×209 mm

Sysa Oleksandra (born 1989, Ukrainian); Human Behavior – exl kleinprint, 2019; etching, aquatint; 117×86 mm

Hasip Pektas (Turkish); Ex Libris Henry Klein, 2004; inkjet; 96×67 mm

Safiya Piskun (Belarusian); Sally (Sandy) and the Ghosts of 9/11 – EXLIBRIS kleinprint, 2013; etching, drypoint, soft ground; 207×136 mm

Dusan Polakovic (born 1950, Slovak); Nove Minotaurus, 2009; etching; 186×177 mm

Yulia Protsyshyn (Ukrainian); Black Hole – EXL KLEINPRINT, 2019; etching, drypoint, mezzotint; 118×75 mm

Arkady Pugachevsky (born 1937, Ukrainian); Taurus – EX LIBRIS kleinprint, 2019; wood engraving; 117×69 mm

Roman Romanyshyn (born 1957, Ukrainian) Minotaurus, 2001; etching, aquatint, mezzotint; 235×165 mm

Roman Romanyshyn (born 1957, Ukrainian); Two Towers, 2003; etching, aquatint, mezzotint; 228×191 mm

Roman Romanyshyn (born 1957, Ukrainian); Inside Out, Upside Down, 2000; etching, aquatint; 198×178 mm

Roman Romanyshyn (born 1957, Ukrainian); T (Tattoo Twins), 2005; etching, aquatint, mezzotint; 188×167 mm

Roman Romanyshyn (born 1957, Ukrainian); K (Kiss & Kiwi), 2005; etching, aquatint, mezzotint; 180×174 mm

Ivan Rusachek (Belarusian); Twin Towers of Babel II – EXL H. KLEIN, 2013; etching, aquatint; 220×116 mm

Ivan Rusachek (Belarusian); Twin Towers of Babel I – EXL HENRY KLEIN, 2013; etching, aquatint; 130×129 mm

Norbert Salzwedel (born 1950, German); The Twin Towers – Ex Libris Henry Klein, 2012; engraving; 124 mm

Igor Shokoldov (Belarusian); Musical Bridge – exl kleinprint, 2018; etching, aquatint; 76×145 mm

Roman Sustov (born 1977, Belarusian); Learning to Fly, 2011; etching, linocut; 246×173 mm

Kamila Tamar (born 1945, Slovak); Inside out, upside down – Ex Libris Henry Klein, 2003; etching; 84×72 mm

Ella Tsyplyakova (Russian); Ex libris KAELA & LEA SANDERS, 2016; relief cut in plastic; 135×145 mm

Ella Tsyplyakova (Russian); Food for Long Legged Love – EX LIBRIS KLEINPRINT, 2016; relief cut in plastic; 146×128 mm

Ulyana Turchenko (born 1980, Ukranian); The Folk who live in Backward Town. Sheldon Silverstein – EXL Henry Klein, 2015; lithograph; 219×230 mm

Viola Tycz (born 1973, Polish); The Fallen Twins – Ex Libris Henry Klein, 2006; water polymer, intaglio; 191×110 mm

Frank-Ivo van Damme (born 1932, Belgian); Nove Minotauraus – EXLIBRIS KLEINPRINT, 2009; engraving; 101×73 mm

Katarina Varvova (born 1964, Slovak); Stories of Love I, In Memorium Lorrian Hunt-Lieberson, 2008; etching; 228×178 mm

Katarina Vavrova (born 1964, Slovak); Stories of Love II, In Memorium Lorrain Hunt-Lieberson, 2008; etching; 228×178 mm

Aliona Volchok (Belarusian); Peg-Legged Piggy – Exlibris Henry Klein, 2012; 73x104mm

Josef Werner (German); Going to St. Ives, 2011; etching, aquatint, hand colored, inkjet; 203×142 mm

Josef Werner (German); Going to St. Ives, 2011; etching, aquatint, hand colored, inkjet; 203×167 mm

Vladimir Zuev (born 1959, Russian); Two Towers of Babel – EL Henry Klein, 2007; etching, aquatint; 130×122 mm

Vladimir Zuev (born 1959, Russian); Fool for Love (Kiss and Tell) – Ex Libris Henry Klein, 2013; etching, aquatint, relief etching, hand coloring; 118×146 mm