Kalin & Ivo Daskalov

Stopan

Bookbinder

A Family of Craftsmen

Kalin & Ivo's studio is named Stopan after a figure from the Bulgarian folklore
They experiment with the decorative elements of books
They follow the traditions of old masters in bookbinding

Kalin and his father Ivo have always been surrounded by books. In 2018, Kalin was officially recognised as a master bookbinder by the Bulgarian National Craft Chamber. After entering the craft as a fulltime job, he invited his father, a silversmith, to join his practice. “I’m self-taught and owe most of my knowledge of the craft to old English handbooks from the 19th and 20th century”, says Kalin. He is fascinated by pre-printing press book structures and old bindings, made in monasteries by self-taught scribes. He incorporates much of these influences into his designs, but adds a contemporary twist. The son and father manage their studio Stopan working between their home workshops in Sofia and Pleven.

Interview

Which craft traditions from Bulgaria influence your work?: Kalin: We look for inspiration everywhere. We are influenced by the decorative ceramics of Troyan, Veliko Tarnovo and Busintsi. The stonemasonry achievements from the 19th century are also very important for our work, especially the tombstones and fountain memorials from this period.
How do you balance tradition and innovation?: Ivo: The gilding of the edges and the clasps are made in a very traditional way, because of their functionality. On the other side one is able nowadays to experiment with all the decorative elements on the book covers.
What kind of materials do you prefer working with?: Kalin: In my field I use mostly paper, threads, leather and gold. I work with waxed linen and cotton threads, mostly with goatskin, vegetable tanned or specially coloured leather. The gold is the best material for the decoration of the leather, but recently I started using copper.
Who are your clients and what are their stories?: Our clients are people who want to write down their precious story in a valuable and appropriate medium. They are book collectors, people from the corporate world, politicians etc. One dear client of us uses the book for a travelogue about his recent Himalayan journey.

Kalin & Ivo Daskalov are rising stars: they began their career in 2018 and they started teaching in 2020