I.
The Laughing Bird
2025
This book is made for my ongoing project, The Laughing Bird. It takes blackened brass as its body, a found yak bone as its spine, and earth paper as its skin—allowing the materials themselves to articulate the texture of the land as I perceive it. The long-term nature of the project directly shaped the binding form. Thirteen images form one volume, echoing the rhythm of a lunar cycle (or the passage of time). Welded brass rods pass through pierced holes, temporarily binding the existing three volumes into one, while leaving space for future growth.
Designed by Liu Yixuan
Handcrafted by Cai Ye
Materials: Brass, specialty earth paper, yak bone.
Dimensions: Closed 19o × 20o × 4o mm; Open 420 mm.
II.
The River Can’t Remember
2026
A handmade book accompanying The River Can't Remember, a project exploring the estrangement and bonds of memory within a paternal homeland I never truly lived in. Bound in a 29-page leporello structure.
Designed and handmade by Liu Yixuan
Materials: Black cardstock, Offset paper
Dimensions: 220 × 850 mm folded; 3200 × 850 mm unfolded
III.
Folded Travelogues: The Journey Series
2026 - Present
The Journey series is a growing collection of 16 volumes handmade double-sided accordion-fold (leporello) photobooks. Each book is dedicated to a specific journey and consists of 12 pages.
Designed and handmade by Liu Yixuan
Materials: Tracing paper, Offset paper
Dimensions: 72 × 210 mm folded; 295 × 210 mm unfolded
乌鞘 — 甘肃 青海
Wushao — Gansu & Qinghai
Wushao — Gansu & Qinghai
风下 — 沙巴
Fengxia — Sabah
Fengxia — Sabah
十股 — 南疆
Shigu — Southern Xinjiang
Shigu — Southern Xinjiang
壶流 — 河北 山西
Huliu — Hebei & Shanxi
Huliu — Hebei & Shanxi
树地 — 四川
Shudi — Sichuan
Shudi — Sichuan
螺髻 — 贵州 云南 四川
Luoji — Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan
Luoji — Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan
木门 — 四川
Mumen — Sichuan
Mumen — Sichuan
嵬名 — 宁夏
Weiming — Ningxia
Weiming — Ningxia
牂牁— 贵州
Zangke — Guizhou
Zangke — Guizhou
解古 — 四川
Xiegu — Sichuan
Xiegu — Sichuan
武夷 — 福建
Wuyi — Fujian
Wuyi — Fujian
三清 — 江西
Sanqing — Jiangxi
Sanqing — Jiangxi
哀牢 — 云南
Ailao — Yunnan
Ailao — Yunnan
深埝 — 四川
Shennian — Sichuan
Shennian — Sichuan
伏波 — 广西
Fubo — Guangxi
Fubo — Guangxi
鵟巢 —马德拉
Kuangchao— Madeira
Kuangchao— Madeira