Handpainted Leather Journal / Blank Book with Original Artwork - Memento Mori, One of a Kind

This journal is bound in natural undyed leather, tooled and hand painted with my original artwork. The theme of the journal is Memento Mori and was created as part of a collaboration project with Turkish jeweler Murat Demirbaş. Both my binding and his ring (available here) reflect on the inevitability of our fate, as gentle reminders to practice acceptance of death and gratitude for life. 

The right hand side of this journal depicts the story of life, while the left hand side, that of dead and universal transcendence. The impermanence of beauty and youth are represented by the girl holding a rose that loses its petals, and the tree full of leaves that are falling with the passage of time. On the other side there is an angel holding an hourglass, as our life is a journey with a fixed destination. Skeletons are performing a dance macabre holding hands with the rich, the poor, the young, the old, as nobody can escape their fate. The corners depict symbols such as the sun and the moon - life and death, day and night, the ouroboros - the cycle of life. The understanding of death is a prerequisite for the understanding of life. The left tree has deep roots, as it has grown strong since the beginning of time while the right tree has a beautiful crown showing the richness and the fullness of our short but meaningful life. The colorful diamond pattern behind the girl shows the embrace of our fate and that life has meaning not in spite of, but because of death.

The painting was made with leather dyes on natural leather and sealed so that it does not wear off during time. A patina was applied to the entire book with transparent glazes so make it resemble an old binding. 

The book measures 10.2 x 7.3 inches (26 x 18.5 cm).  It has 120 pages (240 sides) of Favini Laguna artist paper with parchment finish. This paper is acid free, hand-torn, has 180 gsm and will work for writing and sketching in any media, even watercolor.

The endpages are made of hand marbled paper. The headbands were hand sewn in blue and gold colors from metallic and waxed cotton thread  thread. 

This book is an art object. You can use it as a personal reflection journal for your life or as a family book to pass down as a heirloom.