Hand Bookbinding: Preserving Cultural Heritage
In an age where technology advances rapidly and books are transformed into digital files consumed with a single tap, the art of hand bookbinding retains a unique charm, one that echoes ancient rituals and breathes meaning and soul into paper. Within a cultural landscape that seeks to honour traditional craftsmanship, the School of Calligraphy and Ornamentation (SOCO) has opened its doors to the timeless craft of bookbinding and hand stitching, not merely as an artistic skill, but as a cultural practice worthy of being preserved, shared, and lived.
As part of its specialised programme to revive Islamic arts and endangered crafts, the school organised two professional workshops led by international experts, combining craftsmanship with creativity.
In the first workshop, master craftswoman Ina delivered a rich experience in the art of traditional bookbinding. Participants gathered around the tables, embarking on a journey that began with a single sheet of paper and culminated in a fully bound book, each carrying a personal touch. Using fine threads, natural glue, and artistically styled fabrics, they learned how a simple booklet could be transformed into a sturdy, aesthetically pleasing creation, wrapped with care and intention.
On the other hand, Turkish artist Furkan Yoldaş led a workshop on “Miniature Bookmaking,” showcasing precise steps in designing and binding small-sized books, inspired by centuries-old techniques used in Islamic schools and Ottoman libraries. With his expertise and light-hearted presence, Furkan transformed the workshop into a space for experimentation and reflection, where manual craftsmanship became a visual language, telling stories rooted in history and cultural identity.
What distinguished both workshops was the fusion of craftsmanship and artistic appreciation. The goal was not merely to produce a beautiful book, but to understand the actual value of the craft, the importance of slowness, attention to detail, and the respect that the material deserves in the hands of the artisan.
تُجسّد هذه المبادرات توجه مدرسة سوكو في الحفاظ على الحرف اليدوية كجزء لا يتجزأ من الثقافة البصرية المحلية والعربية، وتأكيدًا على أن الإبداع الحقيقي لا يولد فقط من الفكرة، بل من اليد التي تُنفّذ، والوجدان الذي يحتفي بالجميل والمتقن.
In the end, participants left the workshops not only with a handcrafted book, but with a profound experience that tells the story of a timeless craft and breathes new life into it. Bookbinding at SOCO was not merely a revival of an old ritual—it was a declaration that true art begins with a sheet of paper and lives on through the details shaped by loving, skilled hands.