Bōk Bindery

Samsam Petherbridge has hand-bound and marbled many books under the name Bōk Bindery. This process has led to many collaborations and projects. Here are some of his favourites.


Bōk Bindery

Samsam Petherbridge has hand-bound and marbled many books under the name Bōk Bindery. This process has led to many collaborations and projects. Here are some of his favourites.


Softness

Pastel on paper, triptych, each 14.8 × 21 cm

Made during the suspended days of the pandemic, these drawings explore the push and pull of intimacy in confinement. The bed became both refuge and stage, a place where play, tenderness, and restlessness unfolded in equal measure. Inspired by Paula Rego’s theatrical use of pastel, I leaned into drama and vulnerability, letting fabric, gesture, and gaze carry the weight of the story.


Residency at Market Place Print Studio

Samsam Petherbridge completed a residency at Market Place Print Studio in Cockermouth, on the edge of the Lake District. Working alongside a studio partner, Samsam drew inspiration from the surrounding landscape, with walking and observation directly informing studio practice.

During the residency, Samsam expanded their printmaking skills, including pepper pot aquatint and plate preparation, supported by studio founders Jack Fawdry Tatham and Emily Fairlie Baker. The experience reinforced the value of a print studio rooted in openness, learning, and community, and continues to inform Samsam’s practice and future ambitions


Part II: The Fall

Aquatint Etching, 11x20cm


Part I: The Breaking of the Rope

Aquatint Etching, 12x12cm, 2025


The Giant on the Ridge

Aquatint Etching, 20x30cm, 2025


The Blue Borough, 2022

For an Exhibition in Crofton Park Library, artist Samsam Petherbridge bound 17 drawings into books, each revealing the next chapter of a story. The story was a fictional tale of how two people and a dog survived but fail to communicate a flooded London, separated on top of two hills. Above are some of the drawings that were exhibited and below is a chapter of the story.


Bōk Bindery

Samsam Petherbridge has hand-bound and marbled many books under the name Bōk Bindery. This process has led to many collaborations and projects. Here are some of his favourites.