I love Japan 2: The lure of Japanese papers

Veronika Schäpers is undoubtedly one of the protagonists in the contemporary Book Arts scene. Her work blurs boundaries: her refined works using text can neither be classified as illustrated nor as typographical books. They are best characterized as works of visual design.
Her selection of the materials, especially the paper, is influenced by Schäpers long-time adopted home of Japan and by her work with Sakamoto Naokai (Paper Nao). This course will be an immersion in the world of Japanese papers, learning about their manufacture, original uses, their physical and optical qualities. We will make sample books from a variety of Japanese papers in order to familiarize ourselves with the Japanese aesthetic and the qualities of these fine papers. We will use the adhesive-free binding technique Schäpers developed called the “Loop-Stitch Binding” which won the prize of excellence at the bel libro 2003.

Teacher: Veronika Schäpers