“The handmade book provides the artist with a unique format to tell a story in words and pictures.“

Handmade artists books are a very rich and independent format. The artists books are in a category of their own - undoubtedly a small and specialised field. But they not only offer great value for money, they are truly beautiful objects in their own right.

In our crazy, fast paced digital world, the very act of making books by hand - just as Gutenberg would have done in the 1400s - can seem somewhat anachronistic.

But the cultural significance of handmade books should not underestimated.

The handmade book provides the artist with a unique format to tell a story in words and pictures. The bookmaking process allows artists to meld so many things together - writing, paper textures, image-making techniques, and printing processes.

One-of-a-kind and small-edition (30 or fewer copies) artists books are always a real find. Every book contains some combination of distinctive artwork, unusual papers and handwritten or printed text. And every book is numbered.

At the Stock Rooms we understand the importance of artists handmade books and so we have created a showcase of the works of a number of our artists who have produced these beautiful, limited edition books.