A few years ago, when I was in Phnom Penh and things were quite vibrant and people were meeting me to talk about creativity and creative workshop collaboration ideas, I offered up an idea to explore Japanese bookbinding.
I had been experimenting on my own at the DK World HQ studio in the days we were on Street 63, and I had had a large room to play around with lots of paper and try new things. I also wanted to find ways to make my ‘publications’ more hand-made in feel, not mass produced. So we got together for a bit for ‘Make, Take & Cake,’ and there was a nice mood to it. All kinds of cross-sharing, because people who opt in to join these sorts of creative parties tend to have something to share, of their own. In this way, it was very humming-along-in-a-nice-way, much to my joy. Joy: making things. Cool things. With other people who also love making things and making cool things.
Some time again in the near future, in Phnom Penh, we can bring Japanese bookbinding to the table, again. It’s going to be fun if it comes into shape, but I also understand if there’s a pandemically adjusted relationship with ‘meetups’, too.
Exploring, sharing. Learning, testing. Experimenting with form. What is a book? What is a zine?
Asking.
Also investigating into: saddle stitching, section sewn, wire binding, cased-in wire binding, pamphlet binding, coptic binding.
So. Much.
