About Hilke Kurzke

Hilke Kurzke

Hi, I am Hilke Kurzke, also known as Büchertiger. I am a book artist, mother of two year old twins and a mathematician by training. Before I had the kids I was ballroom dancing, learning Kung Fu, and played a couple of instruments. I hope to get back to at least one of those when they are a little older.

Being a book artist means that I am an artist, and my works are not paintings, or sculptures, or performances, but books. Although sometimes I write or paint for my books, being a book artist is different from being a painter, illustrator or author, and it is also different from being a bookbinder. Book artists are all this and sometimes the whole is more than the sum of all pieces.
But of course I can function as one of the "pieces": I do bind books which I do not consider art (for example blank journals). And write books which I also don't consider art (mainly instructions).

Being a mother of twins teaches you a couple if things. Mainly it taught me to get well organized, minimize idle time, set strict priorities to everything (including brushing teeth and taking showers), and sometimes just sing a song and do what ever I feel like despite my priorities.
And thus I even acquired a new pastime while not having any free time to pass: Photography. As you might guess I don't find much time to exercise, but I try to find some time for shooting every now and then.

Well, everything else can be found in my pictures, I guess.

Occupation: Artist at Büchertiger Studio & Press

Favorite books and authors:

Neil Gaiman, Neil Gaiman, Neil Gaiman and Umberto Eco are my favorite authors. ;-) Favorite books changes too often to try to list it here.