Jen Ouson

Artist book maker, binder, zine maker, workshop facilitator and provider of research support for creative students (my day job), based just outside Edinburgh, Scotland.

I work across printing, painting, and publishing, often exploring memory and placemaking through paper-based practices, frequently linking to family narratives, the rural and industrial landscapes of Scotland and the north of England, and fragility. Through Grey Paper Press (GPP), paper and the process of binding and compiling feed my need to preserve and share something intimate and fleeting, with a real joy in embracing the flaws. GPP is an attempt at archiving, as a very tactile means of holding on to…

I deliver talks and facilitate workshops on artists books and zine making as a means of connecting and community building. Hand Out Press (HOP) was born as a way of showing gratitude, gift giving and creative exchange. Through HOP I make zines that are ‘handed out’ to participants, provide inspiration, and act as a more tactile and interactive classroom ‘hand out’ when working with students.

I am the founder of the AB-Z Collection of approximately 600 zines, artists’ books and DIY publications held in the library at Edinburgh College. The collection is used by staff and students as well as visited by local and international visitors for both research and pleasure.