The craft of bookbinding dates back to the dawn of history, and Percy, as a Hong Kong artist, combines the old world techniques with contemporary designs in producing her works.
Let us see what Percy had to say about the art of bookbinding, and have her clue us in with upcoming bookbinding plans!
Wanna check out Percy's handiwork? Read the rest of the article at Lifestyle Asia!
Commissioned bindings are personalised, in that it has to reflect both the qualities of the owner as well as the bound contents.
There are two pieces of commissioned work that I would like to share with you, as they were highly personalised to reflect their owners. The first was a photo album made for a client’s God-son. She wanted to include photos taken of him daily in his first month, so it was laid out in sequence as a scroll book. The cover was made of red goatskin with brightly-coloured inlays to create playful impression.
The other piece was commissioned by my brother, Perry, the Associate Conductor of Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. He wanted several of his paperback music scores rebound, so I had to first take it apart before binding it using the Islamic headband. The cover was fabricated with diamond-tanned brown goatskin and chocolate-coloured goatskin onlays to give it an aged look.
Where can I learn more about bookbinding?
If you want to acquire an in-depth understanding on bookbinding, you can consider taking a course at the American Academy of Bookbinding. That is where I met my mentor, Monique Lallier.
For a course closer to home, I offer workshops from beginners to advanced classes. In the beginners’ course, students learn about materials and basic techniques, and you can go home with a handmade accordion book immediately after your first lesson! Contact me for more details.
What tools and materials do you need to bind a book? How long does it usually take?
Bookbinding is not a hobby that requires a huge amount of initial investment. Rather, it is an exercise of patience, because every book is meticulously bound.
All you really need for tools is a ruler, a cutter, a self-healing mat, a needle, a pair of scissors, a brush for glue, a bone folder for paper folding, and an awl for hole-punching.
As for materials, you can start with basic items such as paper, book board, thread, and glue.
Beginners utilising simple techniques take around two hours to produce a notebook. Whereas for fine bindings, due to intricacies of techniques required, takes around one week to complete.
What are your upcoming plans?
My studio in Causeway Bay is under renovation and will be opening in April 2011, so I am very excited about that. Please stay tuned for more updates!
Another event that I am longing to go to is the coming Bookbinding Conference in Belgium, l’ARA Conference, which I shall be attending with Monique to meet fellow bookbinders. I look forward to exchanging techniques and tips with Bookbinding Artists all over the world.
Percy So
www.percyso.com
info@percyso.com
9191 4687
5/F, Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.