Bookbinding and illumination exhibition at Crafts Council Gallery

16 February 2024

Explore striking contemporary works in an exhibition presented by Designer Bookbinders Society and Society of Scribes & Illuminators

Charlotte Alderman

16 February 2024

Lori Sauer, An Acrobatic Alphabet, courtesy of Designer Bookbinders and Society of Scribes and Illuminators. Photographer: Colin Dunn.

Exhibition open Wednesdays through Saturdays, 11am – 5pm, 13 March – 13 April 2024 at Crafts Council Gallery. Closed on 29 March and 30 March for the bank holiday. Free to visit, no booking required.

Crafts Council is excited to host Covered.Discovered, a free exhibition presented jointly by Designer Bookbinders and Society of Scribes & Illuminators. Visitors can explore works by over forty artists practising in the realms of contemporary bookbinding, calligraphy and illumination for free in the heart of London - and without needing to book. Covered.Discovered follows the first exhibition presented at Crafts Council Gallery by Designer Bookbinders Society and Society of Scribes & Illuminators, Stone: Ten Bindings by Faith Shannon

Though the practices of bookbinding and calligraphy remain rooted in traditional craft methods, Covered.Discovered reveals a wealth of contemporary approaches and interpretations, in dialogue with their historical foundations. Featuring works made from wood, leather, vellum, brass, acrylic, textiles, gold, silver and more, the exhibition is a rare opportunity to see all of this in one place.

Sue Doggert, Stones: A poem in 6 parts, courtesy of Designer Bookbinders and Society of Scribes and Illuminators. Photographer: Colin Dunn
Eri Funazaki, Labotany, courtesy of Designer Bookbinders and Society of Scribes and Illuminators. Photographer: Colin Dunn

They may call it book art, a book object, a book structure, a bookbinding even! But it is still a book. There will always be the interest in and love of beautiful or extraordinary handmade artefacts whether elaborate or simple.
Lester Capon, Co-curator, Designer Bookbinders

The works on display range from representations of the natural world to striking, graphic-based pieces that are texturally complex. Sue Doggett’s Stones: A poem in 6 parts, features machine and hand-embroidered onlays reminiscent of coastal pathways along the Isle of Skye, displayed alongside the surreal botanical illustrations of Eri Funazaki’s Labotany. Lester Capon’s The Writings of Gilbert White of Selborne, bound with gold and blind-tool goatskin, are inspired by the fantasy and whimsy of nature.

Conventional methods of bookbinding are challenged in Sally Mae Joseph’s Water is the soul of the earth. The pieces are books in the form of ceramic jugs featuring hand-built lettering, challenging the everyday perception of what book arts should look like.

Calligraphy and lettering at their best acknowledge and celebrate the value of past practices and, at the same time, look to discover ways in which history can be interpreted as a springboard for the future.
Susan Hufton, Co-curator, Society of Scribes & Illuminators

Sally-Mae Joseph, Water is the soul of the earth, courtesy of Designer Bookbinders and Society of Scribes and Illuminators. Photographer: Colin Dunn
Sally-Mae Joseph, Water is the soul of the earth, courtesy of Designer Bookbinders and Society of Scribes and Illuminators. Photographer: Colin Dunn

Founded in 1951, Designer Bookbinpamphlet activity.pdfders Society represents the best design and craftsmanship in hand bookbinding. Society of Scribes & Illuminators was established over 100 years ago, the oldest calligraphy society in the world. Whether expert craftspersons, art or design students, or simply everyday people curious about creative expression in all its forms, there is something for everyone to come away inspired by this exhibition.

Have a go at a bit of DIY bookbinding at home. Download our free how-to guide to making a paper book here. It's a simple, fun craft activity that children and adults alike can enjoy, using things easily found at home.