Bookbinding is a craft that includes various processes related to folding and binding book pages into covers. Various techniques and materials are used to create durable and aesthetically appealing books. Very often it has an artistic aspect, and it is precisely in Bosnia and Herzegovina, specifically Banja Luka, that one such artist is hiding. In her Studio Tisa, Nina Stanarević creates works of art where each notebook is unique, hand-bound and often made from recycled materials.

Studio Tisa was founded in June 2021, and according to the owner, she started researching the bookbinding craft during college. She made her first sketchbook from things she had with her; cardboard, cloth from a skirt and dental floss were enough to create his unique sketchbook, but also to fall in love with the world of researching different techniques, trying out raw materials and experimenting.

When asked how today she integrates sustainable practices, such as the use of vegetable dyes/pigments and 'second hand' linen, into her product making process and how this affects the final appearance of the product, Nina answered us: „Research and experiments with natural dyes began when I saw it on the Internet and decided to try it myself. I think my first naturally dyed piece of canvas was the one I boiled in the water in which I dyed eggs for Easter with onion peel. My thinking was, if I cando it with eggs, why not try linens? And the next experiments after that were with food waste: strawberries that went bad in the fridge, rancid aronia juice that I didn't have time to drink, green walnut shells. I think it all started because I was either sorry to throw it away or because I already had it, so I found a way to use it."

An interesting fact is that sustainable practices have become part of her daily life as a result of many years of thinking and research in this direction: "Integrating sustainable practices comes to me spontaneously, without any strategies or forcing. Given that I have been thinking, reading, and watching all this for a long time, these practices have become completely normal and integrated into my everyday life. I am aware of how much the paper and textile industries affect the environment, how much they pollute, change the environment, exploit. On the other hand, the bookbinding craft gives me, as an artist and designer, a person who designs and creates products, enormous freedom in expression and room for experimentation."

Nina emphasized the importance of choosing raw materials in her work, giving a new chance to already used materials: "I hope that by choosing textile raw materials that have already lived out their life span, I am extending their life a little more, so that they will become something new instead of ending up in the landfill. A similar thing is with paper. It is very important to me that the papers are FSC certified, that they are recycled, that as little new raw materials as possible are used for their creation. ... It is also important to emphasize that I use a lot of other people's scraps and waste in my production to create new things, but I also try to reduce and use my own waste, for example, I make my own paper from my waste (from scraps from trimming book blocks).“

When it comes to choosing fabrics and the criteria she applies when choosing them, the basic rule is to first use what is already in the workshop, and there is never a shortage of materials, because individuals already know that they can donate their things here.

Nina proudly points out that all her products are handmade, which makes each one unique. Serial production of the same things is not in her interest, and even when she has to make a large quantity of the same products, she changes each one a little - whether it's adding different colored papers, thread or some painted detail. However, the selection of raw materials contributes the most to the uniqueness and inimitability of the product, as it ensures that every detail is in its place. Nina also points out that handwork creates an opportunity to dedicate yourself to each product individually, paying attention to all the small details.

Also, Nina shared with us her opinion on the market's interest in these or similar products: "I think there is interest in this kind of things, but a lot of education is still needed. The education on eco topics, sustainable products, but also in general about how products are created by hand and how much time is actually needed for such products. People are often surprised when I mention that all my products are handmade. I think that in today's fast-paced consumerist-capitalist society, we forget that a quality product takes time and that things are still done by hand."

Nina Stanarević