Amy Egerdeen's work is new to Freedom and as such we were curious to find out more about it but also learn about her inspirations. Find out from Amy herself what it is that brings her beautiful creations to life.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we present you Amy Egerdeen.
When I was 20 years old, exactly 10 years ago, I became obsessed with bookbinding. I was making zines and wanted to bind them myself, so I took out library books on bookmaking (youtube tutorials weren’t really a thing then) and would sit in my room, ignore my women’s studies assignments, and bind books for hours. I started Nightjar Books, selling handmade books and zines. I went through different incarnations, an eco-friendly line of reclaimed paper journals, an obsession with Japanese papers – and evolved to my (favourite!) present state, focusing on hand-screenprinted journals featuring my own patterns. The patterns feature ancient cities, moon cycles, and tiny homes.
I love the process of creating an actual object – a concrete, usable thing – from something that started as an idea. The handmade process is important to me: to draw the patterns, screenprint by hand, bind each book individually. I could talk about bookbinding and zine-making and small publishing forever, but basically: it’s such a great way to create a space for yourself. I love hearing about people who’ve used my books to brainstorm ideas, plan out their next steps, or write short stories. I believe deeply in the power of sitting down by yourself with a blank book and realizing all the huge, important things your brain can create when given the space.
I’m currently working on illustrations and a series of small publications / zines about feminist legends. It stems from a forever-long obsession with women’s ancient lives, the use of folklore, and how the two intertwine. You can check out my portfolio site for more: amyegerdeen.com.
