Mihail Chemiakin, Le Calmar Contourné, Adapted Engraving with Original Drawing, 1979

Mihail Chemiakin, Le Calmar Contourné, Adapted Engraving with Original Drawing, 1979

In this surreal reimagining of a 19th-century scientific engraving, Mihail Chemiakin overlays his distinctive metaphysical symbolism onto a classical illustration of a squid, originally titled Le Calmar Contourné. Signed and dated 1979, the work seamlessly blends scientific precision with artistic invention—an anatomical study transformed into a visual meditation on duality, mutation, and fantastical transformation.

Chemiakin’s additions in ink and watercolor interrupt the symmetry and order of the original engraving, introducing biomorphic flourishes, gestural lines, and bursts of red and black that suggest blood, motion, or inner life. The tentacles become ornate spirals, almost floral, while background geometries offer an abstract commentary on containment and expansion. As with many of Chemiakin’s transformations, this piece explores the boundary between the rational and the irrational—where taxonomy gives way to alchemy.

This signed original is a brilliant example of Chemiakin’s transformation series, where antique prints serve as both source and foil for his unique vision.