Ivory Press

“On time and on budget, Carter Wong create design that fits perfectly with Ivory Press’s philosophy; always looking for innovation and excellence, challenge, risk, and atemporal beauty. During all these years it has been great fun to work with Philip and his team at Carter Wong.”

Lady Elena Foster

Founder and CEO
Ivory Press

An exhibition catalogue for the V&A made up of 41 concertina leaves, housed within an embossed presentation box (shown left).

A catalogue of artists’ books

Working with inspirational material requires nothing less than an inspirational concept. When commissioned to design the catalogue for an exhibition of artists’ books at the V&A Museum, London, we looked no further than the inventiveness of the participating artists themselves. The bespoke box format allowed owners of the catalogue to frame and display each of the artists’ leaves individually.
To maintain the crafted feel of the piece, and create a bespoke finish, a muslin lining was hand sewn by a local seamstress.
One of the most satisfying aspects of this project was that the catalogue sold out within the early weeks of the exhibition.
Ivory Press

Our first project for Ivory Press was to design a book showcasing the work of four internationally renowned artists, and personal acquaintances, of CEO Lady Elena Foster.

To create a visually distinctive design, we debossed the cover and quartered the pages to represent each of the four artists. An embossed graphic of the River Thames linked each together; with the location of Ivory Press’s office on the river clearly marked.

No need for Double-Dutch. At his workshop in Arnhem, Holland, master bookbinder Wim, explained the intricacies of binding.

Crafting the book

Together with our collaborator, Francis Atterbury of Hurtwood Press, we took a trip across to Holland, and spent a day with Meneer Kamsteeg. With his specialist bookbinding skills, Wim helped us bring our elaborate design to life. In this instance the extra mile travelled really was worth the outstanding result.