| Jesus Sanchez |
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Born in Mexico City, and educated in travels, studies and work around the world, Jesús visited Hawai‘i in the late 1970s and returned to live in Hilo in 1988. His father was a bookbinder, and Jesús began working in his father’s shop at the age of seven. The work was physically demanding for the youngster, involving some 40 steps still done as they were in the 15th century—skills such as shaping the back of a book with a four-pound hammer. At the National University in Mexico, Jesús studied Latin-American literature and went to France for advanced studies following graduation, intending to become a writer. “Being a starving student, I realized I could live through my skills. I thought my vocation was to write, but I found I was a better bookbinder than writer.” Studying and working in some of the finest binderies and libraries in Paris, Madrid, London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Florence, and apprenticing in the Vatican’s rare book section, Jesús increased his knowledge, becoming a book restorer, frequently referred to as the “PhD of bookbinding.” Jesús’ current work includes binding limited editions of the writings of internationally known authors and restoration of rare old volumes for collectors and libraries. He has recently combined his love of woodworking with bookbinding to create lovely wood and leather bound albums and journals. |
