……………Short Bio…………….
Hello and Welcome!
I am a Canadian (Taiwanese born) designer bookbinder, marbling artist and stationer based in Toronto Canada since 2006. My specialization is French-technique design binding & gilding (la reliure d’art et la dorure) ; decorated with my original innovative signature styles / technique - Fragmentation 2025, Faux woodgrain 2025, Faux Ivoire 2019, Faux Ammolite 2019 & Faux Tortoiseshell 2019.
As a fine binder, I am always accepting one-off or small-scale commissions in custom fine hand bookbinding & boxmaking. Miniature bindings are just one of my specialties. Most of my leather design fine bindings are bound in the beautiful, sublime & refined French-technique; perfected by master craftsmen in Paris for centuries, culminated during the French Art Nouveau/Art Deco era, and therefore highly sought after by discerning collectors, bibliophiles and libraries around the world. All of my ooak design fine bindings are decorated with my original innovative signature styles to ensure their uniqueness. Typically, the turnaround time for one of my French-style design bindings is about three to six months or more; depending on the complexity and budget of the project.
As a marbling artist, I have been marbling, experimenting and developing my own unique takes on the traditional marbling art which I coined the term "Marbled Graphics"™. You can purchase my marbling art directly on my website shop or purchase in person in Toronto.
As a stationer, I produce old-fashioned writing stationery using diecutting or letterpress printing technique. You can purchase my fine traditional stationery on my Etsy shop at www.studioRobertWu.Etsy.com
Besides bookbinding, marbling and making stationery, occasionally I also offer my service in antique book washing (prior to binding).
……………………..Long Bio………………………..
I graduated from the University of Toronto with a Master’s degree in Architecture (MArch) and also graduated from Ryerson University in Toronto with a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural science. My eight years of architectural training have given me the most solid foundation in design. During which time, I also studied classical painting techniques for 3 years at Toronto Academy of Realist Art ( Formerly John Angel Studio ).
I started bookbinding and paper conservation in 1990s through CBBAG (Canadian Bookbinders & Bookartists Guild) in Toronto with Don Taylor, Betsy Palmer Elderidge and furthered my training in bookbinding with Masterbinder Monique Lallier & Don Etherington at AAB (American Academy of Bookbinding) in Colorado USA, where I was awarded the first ever one-time endowment "Tini Miura Scholarship", selected by the legendary German-born masterbinder Tini Miura herself. (Tini is considered by many as the most prolific and the Grand Dame of designer binder working in the French tradition & paper marbler of our time. She was also one of the co-founders of AAB in USA.) Later on, I had the honour to receive my full-time formative intensive private training in French technique with Tini Miura at her California studio. Subsequently, I also invited Tini to teach workshops at CBBAG and had more private lessons with her afterwards. I also attended a workshop at the Center for the Bookarts in NYC with Masterbinder Luigi Castiglioni of Italy.
I taught several workshops in bookbinding at CBBAG in the past and participated in Designer Bookbinders International Competitions UK twice with my submitted bindings chosen for its touring exhibitions. In 2012, I had the honour of being invited to participate in Album Amicorum - an Internaltional marbling exhibition in Turkey, USA and Europe. Only a handful of the world's leading marblers were referred and personally invited by Turkey's Ebru (marbling) master Hikmet Barutcugil of Ebristan.
I have also done numerous art & craft shows selling my marbling art and stationery in Ontario including the premiere Toronto Outdoor Art shows and a decade of premiere indoor One-Of-A-Kind shows (twice per year) in Toronto.
Collections of my marbling art and fine bindings can be found worldwide, most notably in The Grolier Club NYC, Fisher Rarebooks UofT, Bruce Peels Special Collections UofA, Royal Ontario Museum Toronto, Harvard & Yale Universities, Boston Athenaeum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.