After visiting the New York Art Book Fair in 2011, Adelene Koh was smitten with the world of bookbinding. Her professional training commenced in Japan, then led her to London, and she’s now based in Taiwan, where she runs a studio called dddots. This year, Koh was one of 30 finalists for the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, which celebrates innovation across a wide range of artisanship.
As a bookmaker and conservator, Koh draws upon the technical precision and heritage of bookmaking to create unique sculptures using paper and thread. Her work “Endless” was included in the prize’s exhibition of shortlisted artists, consisting of a kind of ouroboros-like cylinder of meticulously folded paper and edges stitched with colorful fiber. “The result is an endless loop of a book’s spine and fore-edge bound together by the English endband sewing techniques from the 18th and 19th centuries,” says a statement.
Sewn endbands are not exactly invisible, but they’re usually tucked snugly inside the cover. The thread is also not necessarily colorful, as it may be selected to blend in with the pages or other parts of the binding. For Koh, this underappreciated element becomes the highlight through vibrant combinations and rhythmic patterns. “I’m interested in bringing hidden elements of books into focus,” Koh says. “I’m drawn to the overlooked, the sidelined, the parts that quietly support everything else.”
The winner of this year’s competition is Jongjin Park, and Colossal readers may also recognize the work of finalist Xanthe Somers. See more on Koh’s Instagram.
