Bio

Nicole Rivera Casillas runs a small bookbinding studio where she creates artistic bindings and explores the possibilities of paper and book structures. Fabric and thread are recurring elements in her work, often incorporated through embroidery. She is drawn to patterns and subtle details in the natural world, which she expresses through both book structure and design. Rather than relying solely on technical solutions, she takes an intuitive approach to bookmaking, allowing the creative process to guide her.

Themes of untold family history, race, and memory have become central to her recent projects. She is particularly interested in Puerto Rican traditions that have been lost or forgotten due to colonization—memories preserved by elders now in their 80s or 90s, or nearly erased by history. Her most recent artist book, Buscando a Modesta, explores fragmented memory through thread, paper, and needle. Lost archives, wrapped in translucent abaca paper and hand-sewn into blank pages, create a puzzle waiting to be solved. As the reader opens envelopes and reads handwritten transcriptions of interviews and archival passages, Modesta’s story slowly comes to life, unraveling page by page.

Nicole’s work is deeply rooted in the act of remembering and reconstructing histories that might otherwise remain voiceless. The linen thread she uses becomes a metaphor for the connections between past and present. In addition to her personal practice, she is dedicated to expanding the book arts community in Puerto Rico. Many collaborations have emerged from her workshops at Lapaduma Book Arts Studio, where she shares her expertise and fosters creative exchange among artists.