Wonder and Flow / for the Kresge Foundation. Book development, art direction, design, layout, print management, photography, photography direction, calligraphy.
From 2019–2022, I art-directed the Eminent Artist Monographs, an annual series of books published by the Kresge Foundation. Each book was conceived, designed, and produced to best serve the work of the individual artist.
Wonder and Flow is the 2020 Eminent Artist Monograph, to honor the work of ceramicist Marie Woo.
For the titles in Wonder and Flow, I used my own calligraphy to engage, but not compete, with the artist’s unique approach to form and tradition. All of the calligraphy in the book was made with a series of handmade folded-nib pens.
I also art-directed a studio photo shoot, commissioning a studio photographer and an art handler to capture publication-quality photographs of the artist’s work. These photographs were used in the book, and also made available to scholars and the media.
8 x 8 in, 112 pages, perfect bound.
Check out the other Kresge Eminent Artist Monographs I art-directed:
2019—Gloria House
2021—Shirley Woodson
2022—Olayami Dabls
Copies of the Eminent Artist Monographs are available free to US residents, by completing this form.
The calligraphic forms of the title are embossed, along with a subtle emboss running along the “teeth” of the ceramic bowl. My calligraphy for the book pushed traditional form to rough edges, complementing the artist’s work. I made the letters with a handmade folded-nib pen.
Opening spread of the gallery section, showing one of my detail photographs as well as my calligraphy.
Gallery section spread. Photograph by Haakim Walker.
Essays from Marie’s community, interspersed with “flow” pages, consisting of Marie’s thoughts about her creative process, superimposed over photographs of her work.