Today we’d like to introduce you to Bari Zaki.
Bari, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I’ve been a professional bookbinder and box maker for almost 30 years. My former studio, in Roscoe Village, was open by appointment only, except for one weekend a year, when I held a studio sale. I loved creating & curating for the sale and dreamt of having an actual shop where I could purvey paper goods (and handmade blank books) all the time. My first foray into retail presented itself in 2014, when Leigh Deleonardo of Union Handmade invited me to be the “paper person” in her collective of local artisans and designers. Incredibly, the next year, the space next door to Union Handmade became available and here I am, in an entire block full of merchant-makers.
And what do you do at your new studio?
I now have an extraordinary space in which to work, and to hold classes, and to showcase my handmade books & boxes … and to sell a global assortment of desk accessories. I love office supplies, especially when they are as lovely to look at (and to hold) as they are practical to use. I also offer custom notepads made in-house from stripes of imported papers, and pencils I cover in Japanese papers. And if you are a jotter, a list-maker, a sketcher, a doodler, or a journalist … you’ll find notebooks in a dizzying range of sizes and styles. And if you are a gift wrapper, you’ll find ribbons and enclosure cards and washi tape.
Custom bookbinding and box making remain a key part of the studio. Our projects range from a single portfolio for a photographer or artist, to an edition of 100 custom-sized boxes for agencies. We have made wedding albums, an oversized storage box to hold a collection of hats, and a series of limited-edition books! Our work always balances beauty with functionality and durability. In many cases, what we make will protect and present artifacts that are valuable monetarily as well as emotionally.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
What parts of your handmade books are made by hand, exactly?
Almost everything, except for the pages themselves. Sometimes I use paper made in New England, other times I use papers from France, Germany or the Czech Republic for the pages. These papers are beautiful to look at, to touch, and to write or draw on. I cut the pages to the size I need, and then fold them by hand into “signatures” using a bonefolder and a shipping clerk’s knife. I make some covers by wrapping binder’s board (which I’ve cut to size) in fabric or paper; other covers are simply made from handmade paper, with no board. Either way, I am cutting and scoring, creasing and folding, and usually gluing or stitching. The studio specializes in both traditional European and Japanese bookbinding techniques. I can make a simple book structure, from start to finish, in a couple of hours; an elaborate book might take me an entire day or even longer.
Why would someone buy, or even commission, a handmade box covered in paper or fabric?
Customers who use our boxes include photographers, artists, authors, collectors, and people wishing to protect and preserve special documents or family memorabilia. Our boxes combine beautiful materials and traditional archival structures. Our work always balances beauty with functionality and durability. In many cases, the boxes we’ve made will protect and present artifacts that are valuable monetarily as well as emotionally. We also make “everyday boxes,” to hold keys or jewelry… or paper clips.
Do you find that people are still interested in writing letters?
Absolutely I do. In fact, I belong to a huge online community — 750,000 people — of postcard senders! It’s all managed online, assigning the next correspondent to whom you’re sending a card, who is NOT the person who will then be assigned to send you a card. The cards I’ve received are amazing, from all over the world, and I’ve begun adding them on my postcard wall in the shop, which includes cards I’ve received over the past three decades. I sell postcards, of course, as well as stationery and vintage European envelopes. Chicago also happens to be the headquarters of the Letter Writers’ Alliance.
How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
For me, success is being able to earn my living doing a combination of “things” I adore. I deeply enjoy the process and precision, plus the creativity of choosing new combinations of materials, and, of course, sharing my work with an appreciative audience. Teaching workshops (and being able to host workshops taught by other artists I admire) is Double Happiness for me. It’s so gratifying to see people become so excited about making something tangible and beautiful. Technology has been, and will continue to be, a huge connective force for me. Thanks to the internet, the world truly is my creative oyster.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
People who are able to visit the shop have several advantages: they can touch everything, they can look at it from every angle, and, of course, they can chat in the moment. Many customers, even some who live in Chicago, shop on my website. Most of our work is posted on our site, and available for purchase there. I regularly ship all over the country. Custom work is viewable for inspiration in our Project Gallery.
Whether you shop in person or via phone or e-commerce, everything (from books and boxes to … Italian paper clips) comes wrapped in my complimentary signature style of white tissue with baker’s twine, sealed with my favorite washi tape of the day. Custom wrapping, using decorative papers, special ribbons and embellishments, is available for a fee. The shop also offers gift certificates, and many people use these to give someone a place in one of our workshops.
Contact Info:
- Address: Bari Zaki Studio 3858 N Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60613 - Website: barizaki.com
- Phone: 773-294-7766
- Email: bz@barizaki.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barizaki/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barizakistudio/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/barizaki/
Image Credit:
Studio & Shop photos by Bari Zaki. Portrait by Michelle Litvin.
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
