10 year anniversary

This week I realised that Folded Leaf is 10 years old! It has been a rewarding journey during which my bookbinding practice has evolved and changed direction. Initially my work as Folded Leaf consisted mainly of handmade photo albums, guestbooks, etc. but has fused with my visual art practice, involving many interesting collaborations along the way.

I now call myself a book artist. I work with writers, visual artists, publishers, performers and other creatives to make complete books. We work together to come up with a concept that includes not only layout and design but also the physical structure of the book. In many cases, I hand bind the entire edition of a book in my studio in the Burren.

Sometimes I’m the publisher. I can offer guidance on curation of the content, organise proofreading, ISBN, etc. Occasionally I create illustrations, photographs or other original artworks for the book.

I’ve benefited from some great training and mentoring along the way and I’m hugely grateful in particular to master bookbinder, the late Paul Delrue; artist Róisín de Buitléar; the Society of Bookbinders and Graphic Studio Dublin. I’m also indebted to the Arts Council and the RDS for their generous financial support.

I’ve had some really enjoyable collaborations - you can see some of these in the Work section of my website. A part of my practice I get excited about is giving workshops in book arts, zine making and experimental bookbinding. It’s been a great way for me to meet people who are passionate about books and paper!