Manuel Mazzotti
Bookbinder
London, United Kingdom
Recommended by Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust - QEST
Precision in the open page
- Manuel creates bespoke limited-edition books, fine prints and sculptural installations
- He won first prize at the 2019 International Bookbinding Competition
- He began as an avid book collector before mastering the binding craft
Manuel Mazzotti is a bookbinder, designer and trained engineer who develops and oversees high-end books, prints, stationery and installations. Working with an apprentice and collaborating with specialist craftspeople, he takes on ambitious, complex projects defined by meticulous craftsmanship. After training at Switzerland’s Centro del Bel Libro, Manuel received a 2015 QEST Scholarship to study under masters Kathy Abbott and Tracey Rowledge, and was later selected for Homo Faber’s NextGen programme. Alongside commissions, his series Daily Practice creates sculptural works from studio offcuts. His work is in the collections of the Met, the Tate, the British Library, the London College of Fashion and the National Poetry Library.
Discover his work
INTERVIEW
As an engineer, it used to baffle me that so few books perform what I think should be their most basic mechanical function: to open and lie fully flat. So as an avid book collector, I decided to sign up for bookbinding classes to understand how I could modify their structure.
Bookbinding has not changed much across the centuries. Besides an electric guillotine, I use only traditional tools and presses. However, my studio specialises in contemporary bindings rather than fine binding. For example, I use a variety of structures in order to enhance the content of the book.
A large part of what I do is creating beautiful boxes. A precious book needs to be kept in a precious box!
Spend time learning from the people whose work you love. Try to learn as many techniques as possible in order to create your own vocabulary, which you can apply to different projects. Most importantly, experiment as often as you can.
Manuel Mazzotti
Bookbinder
London, United Kingdom
Recommended by Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust - QEST
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
PHONE
+44 7972807308
LANGUAGES
English
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