Bookbinding Workshop with Katya Lesiv

Name: Bookbinding Workshop with Katya Lesiv
Start: 2025-11-22T10:00:00+02:00
End: 2025-11-23T16:00:00+02:00
Location: Nilsiänkatu 11–13F, käynti Nokiantien puolelta, 3. krs, 00510 Helsinki, Finland

Schedule

Sat, 22 Nov, 2025 at 10:00 am to Sun, 23 Nov, 2025 at 04:00 pm

UTC+02:00

Location

Nilsiänkatu 11–13F, käynti Nokiantien puolelta, 3. krs, 00510 Helsinki, Finland | Helsinki, ES

In this two-day workshop, participants will learn the fundamentals of bookbinding. Together we will explore two book structures that can be used independently for self-published editions or for creating a photobook dummy.
Day 1
On the first day, we will focus on the foundations of book structure. We will examine the materials needed for bookbinding and discuss how they work together — with special attention to choosing paper, thread, glue, and other essentials. Each participant will sew two book dummies, which will be left to dry until the following day.
Day 2
On the second day, we will learn how to cut and finish the dummies, and explore alternative approaches for self-published editions. Participants will have the chance to choose covers for their dummies and experiment with different options. Once the dummies are complete, we will take time to share and discuss participants’ own ideas and projects, and work together to find possible solutions.
Theory Component
Alongside the practical exercises, the workshop will also introduce the book as an artistic medium through the lens of its construction. We will analyze both the opportunities and limitations of the book format: variations in size and structure, working independently versus collaborating with a print house, and how choices of printing methods and paper influence a publication as a whole — and the image in particular.
Times:
Saturday, 22.11: 10:00–16:00
Sunday, 23.11: 10:00–16:00
After the workshop, you will be able to:
-apply two different bookbinding techniques
-select the right materials for working with publications
-adapt basic book structures to your own designs and artistic ideas
This workshop will be of interest to:
-photographers and artists working with the book as a medium
-publication designers
-collectors and researchers interested in artists’ books
-DIY and crafty individuals
Participants are welcome to bring their own publications or ideas to discuss after the practical sessions. You can also bring along your own paper or any other special materials you would like to try out, as the workshop covers only the basics.
In addition to hands-on training with tools and techniques, we will also consider how visual content interacts with book structure, explore paper types and printing options, and discuss how to select the right approach for your project.
About the teacher:
Katya Lesiv (b. 1993) is a visual artist and photographer based in Finland. Her practice explores themes of cyclicality, physicality, emotional experience, and motherhood through analog photography, artist books, installation, text, and moving image. Books play a central role in her work, frequently becoming the final form of her projects.
Lesiv’s works have been presented in solo exhibitions in Ukraine, Finland, and the Netherlands, as well as in international group exhibitions. Her photobook “Lullaby 1” was included in the top 100 photobooks of How We See: Photobooks by Women (10×10 Photobooks), and her book “I love you” was shortlisted for the Aperture PhotoBook Awards in 2022.
Teaching in English only.
https://holvi.com/shop/pimiotaiteilijat/