Raluca Iancu: Japanese Stab Binding

Workshop Description

This workshop will cover up to four basic bindings: Yotsume Toji (Four-Hole Binding), Kikko Toji (Tortoise Shell), Asa-no-ha Toji (Hemp Leaf), and Koki Toji (Noble Binding). During this one-day workshop, students will learn how to create traditional Japanese stab-bound books from beginning to finish, using traditional Japanese materials. The instructor will bring materials from Japan for this workshop (paper and covers).

Students will learn how to: determine grain direction for paper, fold signatures for Japanese stab-bound books, wax thread, bind different stab-binding patterns, and assemble all the elements together into a series of Japanese stab-bound books. We will explore different options for the covers (wrap-around, single, double, etc.). Students will leave this workshop with up to four blank books, each book featuring a different binding and cover style.

Materials/Equipment to be Provided by Students

• Bonefolder
• Awl
• Pencil
• X-Acto or Olfa knife
• Metal ruler (12″ or 18″
• Glue brush (½″ flat)
• Cutting mat (minimum 12″ x 18″)
• Optional:
  • Original art

See Materials Glossary for definitions and images

Materials/Equipment to be Provided by Instructor

• Paper
• Glue
• Glue brushes
• Linen thread
• Wax
• Needles

Instructor Biography

Raluca Iancu is currently an Associate Professor in Art & Visual Culture—Printmaking at Iowa State University (ISU). She earned her MFA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and her BFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University, Canada. Recent awards include a 2025 Art Project grant from the Iowa Art Council, a 2024 Bridging the Gap Interdisciplinary Grant (ISU), and a 2024 Polster Teaching Award from the College of Design (ISU). Her work investigates disaster, memory, and vulnerability through different media, ranging from printmaking to performance, edible art, and printed objects.

Instagram: @raluca_iancu