Home / Art

30+ Awesome Artworks You Won’t Believe Were Once Dusty Old Books on a Shelf

Amazing Book Art

It may be wrong to judge a book by its cover, but many artists believe that books actually are more than mere reading material. In this comprehensive collection of art made from books, we explore the myriad of ways that bibliophilic artists inventively transform works of literature into works of art.

Some artists, such as Claire Brewster and Loui Jover, cleverly transform individual pages into intricate cut-outs or creative canvases. Others, like Long-bin Chen, Maskull Lasserre, and Thomas Wightman, utilize entire books to create intricately carved sculptures. And many, including Anouk Kruithof and Jan Reymond employ numerous books for large-scale literary installations. Whether pocket-sized or larger than life, each work of book art showcases the aesthetic capabilities of a good book.

See the entire selection of amazing art made from books below.

book art art made from books art installation book literary

Artist: Jodi Harvey-Brown
Read more: Sculpted Stories Emerge from the Pages of Books

book art art made from books art installation book literary

Artist: Kelly Murray
Read more: Fabulous Wearable Dress Made of Phonebooks

Book Art by Pam Langdon

Artist: Pam Langdom

book art art made from books art installation book literary

Artist: Alex Queral
Read more: Fascinating Phone Book Portraits

book art art made from books art installation book literary

Artist: Maskull Lasserre
Read more: Human Skull Carved from Books

book art art made from books art installation book literary

Artist: Jan Reymond
Read more: Suspended Books Magically Fill Swiss Tunnel

book art art made from books art installation book literary

Artist: Alicia Martin
Read more: 5,000 Books Pour Out of a Building in Spain

book art art made from books art installation book literary

Artist: Kelly Campbell Berry
Read more: Amazing 3D Book Collages Bring Classic Stories to Life

book art art made from books art installation book literary

Artist: Luciana Frigerio
Read more: Amazing Sculptures Formed With Folded Book Pages

book art art made from books art installation book literary

Artist: Anouk Kruithof
Read more: Giant Wall Built Out of 3,500 Colorful Books

Kelly Richman-Abdou

Kelly Richman-Abdou is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. An art historian living in Paris, Kelly was born and raised in San Francisco and holds a BA in Art History from the University of San Francisco and an MA in Art and Museum Studies from Georgetown University. When she’s not writing, you can find Kelly wandering around Paris, whether she’s leading a tour (as a guide, she has been interviewed by BBC World News America and France 24) or simply taking a stroll with her husband and two tiny daughters.
Become a
My Modern Met Member
As a member, you'll join us in our effort to support the arts.
Become a Member
Explore member benefits

Sponsored Content