Handcrafting the charm of art books
- Elisabeth works with mixed media illustration techniques
- One of her specialities is the creation of art books
- She is at once an illustrator, a printer, a teacher and a publisher
Although her great-uncle was a traditional printer, Elisabeth Pérez Fernández actually learned her craft years before she ever met him. She inherited his machines and cases of movable type. "Now I have restored Heidelberg presses and created my own workshop, preserving his tools and type families," she says. Her workshop is called El Lirón Gris, and is inspired by Juan Pascoe's workshop called Martín Pescador in Mexico. "The grey dormouse is an endangered species in my valley of Orozko in the Basque Country," says Elisabeth. Besides having a degree in Fine Arts, Elisabeth holds several master's degrees. "In addition to my academic training, I learned engraving from various masters at Il Bisonte in Florence, and also in Mexico, under the guidance of Artemio Rodríguez," she says. "At L’Accademia in Florence, Maurizio Olivotto introduced me to the work of Bruno Munari, instilling in me the need to explore the book as an object of design."
Interview
- How did your love for drawing begin?
- I like paper, and I like books. Besides drawing, I also write, so I suppose being an illustrator is what I do best. Books bring together everything I love to create.
- How did you start?
- Since 2006, I have been teaching drawing, drawing for clients, and working in museums. In 2010 and 2011, I took various illustration courses, and in 2013, I started publishing my own books and working professionally for other publishers and clients.
- What is the relationship between Orozko and your work?
- I work with artists from my valley and involve different audiences in the activities I organise to generate an artistic impact. In this way I provide a social benefit through what I do in the rural area where I live.
- What is your way of working?
- I start with analogue and traditional techniques, but often edit the images through digital editing programmes to achieve different finishes. I try to make my images serve as an escape from this crazy world, even if just for a little while.
Elisabeth Pérez Fernández is a master artisan: she began her career in 2006 and she started teaching in 2006
Where
Elisabeth Pérez Fernández
