“Kaija Rantakari is a Finnish bookbinder, mixed media artist and poet. She is an explorer of paper and on paper. Her Paperiaarre brand focuses on impeccably crafted handmade books and mixed media pieces that are worthy of the title paper treasure. ”

about paperiaarre

My name is Kaija Rantakari, and my Paperiaarre blog usually showcases impeccably crafted handmade books and different bookbinding techniques but sometimes I share mixed media art taking many shapes, as well as my love for all things old and beautiful. There’s a shop, too, where you can buy some of the treasures I've created especially for you. I hope to inspire my fellow paper enthusiasts through my work.

Paperiaarre is about finding the things you feel are right for you. I make my art for individuals looking for treasures to fill their daily life - hence the name, which is Finnish for paper treasure. I adore paper and its different forms and it brings me great pleasure to pair high quality paper with other interesting materials like linen or silk from vintage kimonos.

As a master bookbinder I, obviously, know a lot about books. Out of all the different types of techniques and materials I’ve learned and tried along the years, I’ve chosen to use the ones I believe are the best. And by the best I mean the most practical, most durable, and most beautiful. From the very start of my career as a bookbinder I’ve considered a superb quality the most important feature of my work. Once you’ve tried a good handbound notebook, you’ll never want to go back to machine made bulk notebooks. It really is a pleasure to write or draw in a nice-looking book that works with you, not against you, by staying open when and where you want it to.

Journalling, in any form you choose, is a practice that heals your soul, clarifies your personal goals, and helps you achieve them. I think having a great book to work with can only help the process, don’t you?

My second love, in addition to bookbinding, is mixed media art. I have a thing for vintage photos and other old materials; I find it exhilirating to use them to make something entirely new and beautiful. I create artists’ books, collage boxes, as well as jewelry that is both approachable and affordable. These pieces of art are treasures for your home and your body – they have grasped a fleeting moment in time you can now recognize and cherish as your own.

In the future I hope to find new ways to combine my bookbinding skills with vintage materials and mixed media techniques, and create artists’ books that touch your soul and mine.

About me

I live in Helsinki, Finland, and when I’m not stealing a moment to bind books, I write poetry for a living. So far I’ve published three poetry books (currently available in Finnish only), and I’m now working on my fourth, due to be published in 2023.

I’m a perfectionist who likes folding paper, textures, collections, vintage finds, odd scientific details, and most people most of the time.

I fell in love with bookbinding because it combines artistic and practical qualities in a most enjoyable way. I have made things by hand longer than I can remember. One of my earliest crafty memories includes a pair of scissors and a very unfortunate woollen jumpsuit. I have an inherited affection to both books and to creating things from scratch, by hand, with obsessive focus on details. A part of me is more an engineer than an artist, and bookbinding feels to me like building art. It’s a puzzle that fits together perfectly only if you know what you’re making right from the start.

I enjoy making books for other creative people because it gives me a chance to imagine what great things are written, drawn, imprinted onto the pages of these simple little books I make. I like to think of my books as vessels of potential which are made to be aligned with your creative potential.

 
 

BOOKBINDING education

  • master bookbinder, Tyrvää School of Arts and Crafts, 2006

  • apprentice bookbinder, Tyrvää School of Arts and Crafts, 2005
     

  • my full leather fine bindings have won first and second prizes, and received honorary mentions in Finnish bookbinding competitions. Additionally I’ve taken part in international competitions like the Elizabeth Soutar Bookbinding Competition where my books have been exhibited in the National Library of Scotland.

If you want to learn more about how I became a master bookbinder, take a look at what I wrote about my studies in my blog (part 1, part 2, part 3).

 

custom orders

I don’t currently make any custom order books. This way I can always guarantee the high quality of my work I hold so important. Nothing is designed or finished in a rush, so you can trust you’re always getting the best product possible.

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