Eri Funazaki

Eri studied Graphic Design at Joshibi University, Tokyo, Japan from 1989-92 and from 1992-97 worked as a graphic designer for Les Mains? Publications, Japan. In 2000 Eri graduated from the London College of Printing with a BA in Book Arts and Crafts, and was elected Fellow of Designer Bookbinders in 2007.

She has been awarded several bookbinding prizes including the Mansfield Medal in 2002 and currently works as a designer and fine bookbinder at Shepherds Bookbinders, London. Her work is in various private collections in the UK and abroad including The British Library.

Outside of the bindery Eri plays J.S. Bach on her beloved, slightly out of tune, Edwardian piano every evening and also engages with making fine bound artists’ books with her artistic partner and writer Danny Flynn. This collaboration began almost immediately after her graduation and they have since produced twelve works in a series involving letterpress, screen-printing, linocut-printing, and fine design bindings. Some of the books are accompanied by miniature bronze sculptures taken from Eri’s illustrations of a little man.

Eri has developed various alternative book structures influenced by traditional design binding techniques, such as a double concertina of pages fashioned initially to print all corresponding illustrations separate from the text which often required changes at the last minute during letterpress composition.

Although they have welcomed the unexpected interest from collectors and bookbinding related prizes over the years their artistic aim is to be a little bit punk yet orderly within The Designer Bookbinders’ field with what might seem like an attitude towards non money making. They have a dedicated interest in upholding the standards of fine binding while exploring personal themes within the original illustration and writing. Their book works have been exhibited in The Royal Academy Summer Show in 2014, and are among the collection of the Crafts Council.