Coleen Curry is a contemporary design binder. Coleen’s aim is to craft technically evocative bindings that provide a visual, sensual, and tactile experience. She bound her first book in 2004 with Tini Muira; the experience was a game changer. In 2009, Coleen received her Diploma in Fine Binding from the American Academy of Bookbinding (AAB). Notably she has studied with Monique Lallier, Eleanore Ramsey, and Hélène Jolis. Coleen teaches at AAB and has led workshops in the US and Australia since 2014. She is past President of the Hand Bookbinders of California and currently the Vice Chair for the San Francisco Center for the Book. She exhibits internationally, has won several awards, and her work is held in both private and public collections including the San Francisco Public Library, Boston Athenæum, and Bancroft Library.
Coleen’s design ideas stem from both the text and illustrations of the books she binds. Her inspiration is derived from a collection of experiences, observations from daily life, found objects and the natural world. I avidly explore other crafts in an attempt to render visually rich and technically evocative bindings.
Coleen lives on the California coast where she crafts design binding, and in her free time, swims and rock climbs.