Agency:
Karah ShulanskyClient:
Student Work
Award:
Judges Awards
Designer: Karah Shulansky
“‘The letters don’t get their true delight, when done in haste & discomfort, nor merely done with diligence & pain, but first when they are created with love and passion.’ — Giambattista Bodoni
I chose the hand stitched book of the alphabet because it was a bespoke piece of art. A one off that can not be repeated through digital or mass produced through mechanics. With the sound of the sewing machine pushing through the paper, the turn of the hand to guide the sheet through the cursive type, the steady thump thump and whirl accompanies the pensive breathing of the creator.
‘Books are funny little portable pieces of thought.’ — Susan Sontag
We live in a culture that is surrounded by mass production, we don’t know if the pair of jeans we are wearing is one of a thousand or a hundred thousand, we don’t value rarity. The piece I chose is a rarity, it is where I know we are headed in design, where we design for a few, for a niche, because the world has moved towards keywording and tagging, we are digital assets that can now be sold an item that speaks to our small group. We will each be given a bespoke piece that is handcrafted to our tastes, and this book is the harbinger of that new wave.”
—Judge Ophelia Chong