A work of art is a refined and intensified form of experience. As a book artist specializing in printmaking, poetry, embroidery, and bookbinding, all of my art contains information or stories that I believe are culturally and socially significant. In the last 10 years I have made over 500 unique traditional hardback books, and I have come to realize the importance of expanding the traditional bookbinding and book arts practices.
I have embraced practices that allow for experimentation beyond the use of paper as page material. Starting with the series of books I made for the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, I have been using textiles, as well as a combination of paper and textiles, as page material. The history and stories behind vintage and second-life textiles are now essential components of my art and handmade books. They offer additional layers of meaning that can be quite personal.
I have embraced practices that incorporate cultural heritage techniques into the technical, intellectual, and spiritual components of the construction. Using fabrics that are personal to me, unique to a particular culture, and/or relatable to the reader, allows me to fuse the material form of the work to its meaning, adding complexity to the work. I have merged quilting techniques and practices with embroidery in my textile books to combine precision and intentionality of design with bold experimentation and abstraction.
Suzanne Coley is a contemporary artist who specializes in painting, design, poetry, and bookbinding. Her meticulously crafted books and haunting poetry are in numerous private collections in Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia, South Korea, and the United States.
Since learning how to carve wood at the age of five, Suzanne has had a passion for art. She holds a Master of Humanities degree with concentrations in classical literature and philosophy.
She believes the secret to understanding the mind of a culture requires traveling through its memories. And, memories are best kept alive through books.
Thank you!