In a small studio in Ostrava, Czechia, hidden among scraps of paper, we found a beautiful soul – Gabriela Pilařová – creating under the brand name p a p i d u. Paper upcycling is a formative principle for her, and she sees limits as a challenge. We went to visit her on a cold and gloomy winter day, which she unconditionally brightened with her approach and open-mindedness. Now we would like to share this joy with you.

Once upon a time, there was p a p i d u … 

I started with p a p i d u while on maternity leave. But I didn’t want to present myself that way, I found it degrading. However, it was during my maternity leave that I finally found creative space and things began to take shape. At that time, a bookbinding workshop was closing down here in the center of Ostrava.
I tried to go there and ask for some tools. I am not a trained bookbinder, nor do I have any formal training in the arts. I had to find my way and search for everything myself.

I went to the bookbinding shop to take a look around. The manager told me that he preferred to sell the entire collection, not individual items. But I worked in my living room and didn’t have any space for it. Besides, I was mainly interested in the small items. They had large hydraulic presses, cardboard creasing machines, and large cast iron machines. Also a lot of material. The basement was full of paper. I realized that what I wanted was within reach. I agreed to buy it all, and only then did I start thinking about where to put it. I had 14 days to clear it out. It was pretty hellish because I started to realize that it was really
a big bite to chew. Too big a bite. In the end, I backed out with an apology and managed to get only the smaller things I really wanted.

Is p a p i d u currently your main job? 

I am currently working part-time as a lecturer at the PLATO gallery. Otherwise, I am fully dedicated to p a p i d u. 

What is the hardest part of this job for you? 

The financial side of things is challenging for me. Probably calculations the most. It took me a long time, and I’m probably still struggling with it, to learn to charge money for something I enjoy doing. At first, I felt guilty. But the current situation is teaching me. I have expenses, responsibilities…

What does p a p i d u consist of? 

I work a lot on projects. I don’t do traditional bookbinding. A large part of the philosophy

and task I have set myself is upcycling. I do things that are not entirely traditional, but are an alternative form of working with materials. What I sell at markets are samples of my free work. But what I make a living from are mainly commissions, where the customer has some old company materials as papers or catalogs that they don’t need, and at the same time, they are conscious in some way. Often, people in a company realize how much leftover material they have and are horrified. But together we figure out how to turn it into something that suits them. Mostly these are gifts for partners or conference materials that can be made from something that already exists, it just needs to be reformatted in some way. At the same time, it is also a message to the person who receives it – the company or institution is making it clear that they think sustainably and value materials or human labor, and that they believe in their visual identity, which continues to function despite outdated information.

Do you actively seek new orders, or do they just come to you?

It’s true that I’m not business or marketing oriented. In general, I have a bit of a problem with marketing; I think it empties things out… The only thing I do is go to markets and talk to people there. And every now and then I post something on Instagram. But it’s sporadic and a bit haphazard, so I stay out of the algorithms. Even so, it works well for my portfolio. I’d say most of my orders come from personal meetings and networking.

You have been in the stationery business for 10 years now. Do you feel that anything has changed during that time?

There are definitely more brands than before. And in general, I think it’s much easier to get started. If you have a little money to start with and understand social media, you can very easily create and gain your first fans. But whether the number of brands necessarily means growth in quality or diversity is questionable. In any case, it’s much harder for everyone to survive in the long run, especially if it’s your livelihood. On the other hand, it’s great that everyone who has a passion for paper can get a space to create… 

What do you write in and with what?

Mostly in a diary/notebook that I made myself. I generally perceive a notebook as a space that can be accessed in various ways. When you have a paper diary, for example, it contains your ideal world—you dream it up, write it down, draw it, then everything changes again, you cross things out, tick things off. It’s like your own little room. Suddenly, a flat piece of paper becomes a space. That’s the magic of paper. 

I write most often with a pen. But also with a pencil. I don’t have a specific favorite tool. What is specific is that I write quite spaciously… I’m not very good at writing within the lines. I don’t stick to them. And I’m not afraid of crossing things out or making mistakes.

I also write a lot on pieces of paper, which I lose and then find again when I no longer need them. 

What motivated you to start creating things out of paper in the beginning?

Even as a child, I was excited every time I visited a stationery store or general store that sold paper goods. I made invitations and enjoyed wrapping gifts.
I could sit and do this all day long, but it never occurred to me that I could do more with it. Before I went on maternity leave, I worked at a small advertising agency, where I first got to use graphic design software. That was also an important impulse. I also helped my sister’s friend prepare flyers and various small items for a local bistro. And when two of my friends got married and
I couldn’t attend the weddings, I at least created their wedding stationery. At that time, scraps and other leftovers began to pile up at home, and that’s how my specialization came about – working with materials that no one else needs anymore. 

How exactly do you proceed with orders? Do you have your own materials and offer them, or do clients come to you with their own ideas and you try to adapt the materials to them? 

Mostly, people who come to me want to work with discarded materials that they have themselves. We usually come up with what to do with them together. We talk about what they do, what they need it for, I do some research, look at the material, and think about what would be practical and usable so that it doesn’t immediately become waste again. 

However, it is important to adapt everything to the customer’s needs. When
I need to replenish some material at that moment, because it is not always possible to do so only 

from discarded materials, I reach for recycled or responsibly produced paper.
I work in such a way as to have as little waste as possible, or waste that can be used in some other way. Generally speaking, upcycled materials don’t cost that much money, but they cost me my work, time, and know-how. 

Do you have to explain the process and its added value to people? 

Those who come to me already know. I am highly specialized, so the demand is already filtered. 

What does ideal communication with a client look like?

They contact me, I reply, and maybe we meet up. They bring the material. They give it to me to try out. I make a prototype, we communicate, and then we just know that we want to work together. 

How much work do you put into prototyping and communication before you even start the actual implementation? 

The work beforehand is extensive and often difficult to estimate. Every job is different. Some things start to be discussed in January, for example, and are not implemented until October, or a year later. In this regard, it is more advantageous when the client has a deadline for which they need the final products. Then everything can flow more smoothly for both sides. 

How much of your time during the year do you devote to your own work and how much to commissions?

My own creative work is mostly concentrated in the period before Christmas. The rest of the year is filled with commissions and workshops. 

Does your specific morphology determine the shape of the cutouts, or do you start with an idea and then build everything around it? 

The material is the most important thing for me. I think people lack
a relationship with the material. Touch. Matter anchors us. It has textures, structures, it is malleable, it has different temperatures, it reacts differently, it makes sounds, it has weight. Touch is humanity. Contact is a gift that sustains us. With ourselves and with each other. In today’s changing world, matter can hold us together. So yes, material is decisive for my work.

Sometimes, however, someone wants something special. They might set
a theme or specific task. Then I work with a specific vision and refine the material accordingly, searching for and exploring possibilities. Everything complements each other. 

Through upcycling, you have set limits on your own work. Limits for play, which force you to be even more creative. What do they mean to you?

When you have a blank sheet of paper, you have many possibilities, and that can paralyze you. I think limits are generally important in life. And if you take them as a challenge, it’s a win. They can take you places you would never normally go with just a blank sheet of paper.

You call your paper products “statement stationery.” What do you want to convey to people through your work? 

I enjoy creating forms that can inspire people and change their perspective. They present an unexpected obstacle that people have to deal with somehow. It triggers something in them; it makes them think. And I use discarded, waste materials to do this… So the main statement is: I work sustainably and consciously with what I have, I’m not afraid to explore. I maintain continuity, I build on what came before.

Original pieces

A scribbled, discarded, sorted book

Gabriela unstitches and restitches books that are lying around in front of second-hand bookshops. She uses them as material. The original function of the book is shifted. It is no longer the bearer of a story, but becomes a new bearer of records. A new artifact is created from it.

Of the Island

“This book-object has a story. It was created from scraps from
a workshop at the PLATO gallery, where children traced islands from their bodies. I then used those cutouts. And so a mini collection was created. Limited edition. The pitfall of these things is that it is difficult to place them in a store without context. That’s why markets are great, where I can explain everything. I like that these products take time to sell. It actually goes against some business ideas, but I think it’s important.”

Jewelry

They are made from scraps of archival boxes. I leave the cardboard without any modification. This way, your touch is inscribed on them. In fact, they may eventually fall apart completely and become ephemeral.

Canvas Series

“Behind this project is the idea that works of art don’t always have to hang on the wall. They could also be stored in a bookcase. I played with the idea of paintings that are primarily intended not to be seen. Again, it’s like the idea of a room that you only open when you’re in the right  mood. This series works with canvas. It is a painter’s canvas in various book forms.”