Interview with

She has little pockets of collectors around the world vying for her signature, handcrafted books. With a new one just around the corner, the talented Lang Leav talks to Design Federation about the inspiration behind it.

So what is your new book about?

Lately, I’ve been working on a theatre piece in collaboration with music composer Cyrus Meurant, who is translating my lyrics into these achingly, beautiful songs.

So imagine… you are sitting among the audience at this particular event and you begin to wonder…what was it that inspired the spectacle unraveling before your eyes? Then suddenly, you are whisked from your seat, away from the costumes, the sets, the grandness of a staged event and into the real life story of two ordinary people – to where the real magic took place. As you watch, a dialogue begins to unfold between these two individuals who for that one moment in time, had so much to say to each other.

That is the premise of my new book.

Why do you think your books have been so successful?

I believe there is something special about using the traditional method of bookmaking to tell a story. My books are holistic – as I write, illustrate, design and hand-produce them, so I guess there is a real authenticity about that, which resonates with the people who collect them.

Does your work come purely from your imagination or your real life experiences?

I seem to be developing more of an intimacy with Akina over time. It’s almost like the feeling of when you’re getting to know someone and you begin to reveal more and more of yourself to them. In this way, I think my work is becoming increasingly autobiographical.

Is there a message you are trying to convey in your work?

Akina is like my creative playground where I have the complete and utter freedom to do exactly as I please. In the real world, there are all these fears and inhibitions that hold you back. But in my world of make believe, I can put that aside and really express how I truly feel. Which is actually ironic because it’s a fantasy, yet it’s more honest than anything else.

Stylistically, your new illustrations are quite different from your previous work. Is this something you have done on purpose?

I think it’s been a natural progression. I am still at the very early stages of my career and I don’t think I have even scratched the surface of my potential yet. I see images in my head that I don’t yet possess the technical ability to realise and it excites me because as I evolve and grow, I know I am one step closer to sharing them with the world.

What are your reasons for creating?

Creating art is very consuming and I often don’t realise how exhausting it is until the moment I pull away. Emotionally, it takes you on a rollercoaster. Having your deepest fears and your highest hopes translated into an image that comes to life before you, can be a pretty profound experience. For example, there is one particular piece I just completed which has been stuck in my head for some time. When it spilled out onto paper, it was like holding up a mirror to a memory locked deep inside me. I think in this way, artworks capture something for me that a camera can’t.

You sold 100 copies of your last book titled ‘The Little Mermaid.’ Did you actually make every single one by hand?

Yes I did. I design my books to be overly complicated and so confusing to construct that it would be pointless in trying to show someone else how to make them. In fact, after a few months, I completely forget how I made them in the first place! This is why I’ve never done a second run even though I keep getting requests to do so. It’s just easier for me to create a completely different book from scratch, then to go back and figure out how I created the ones before.

What is next on the cards for you?

I send my books to some very exotic places all over the world and I always wonder about these places. So my next thing would be to pick out three random people who buy my new book and personally hand deliver their copy to them. So if you are from the Greek Islands and you are reading this now, please buy a copy of my next book…

Lang has just released a limited edition print of ‘Band Girl’ (pictured) available for purchase here. Her handcrafted books are exclusive to her online subscriber list. They sell out fast so be sure to sign up for your chance to own one.

All images accompanying Design Federation interviews are © Copyright of the interview subject and may not be reproduced without the permission of the owner.

Tags: akina, lang leav