Diaries Exhibit

Trent Pehrson

A series of hand-made diaries for select individuals

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The Diaries

Click on a diary to see more information about it. Hover over a diary and use right and left arrows to see more images for each diary. Learn more about this exhibit here.

About this Exhibit

The Diaries exhibit is a small sampling from a large series of handmade diaries created by artist Trent Pehrson. In this project, Trent distributed the diaries to individuals he encountered over a period of his life. Each participant provided preferences related to the diary’s appearance and design, resulting in volumes shaped by distinct personalities, histories, and goals.

Each diary was given for free with only two conditions. First, that it be filled with something meaningful or important to its recipient, and second, that the writing must begin immediately upon receiving the diary. The project imagines a future in which the scattered volumes are tracked down and reunited by a dedicated collector, after the artist's death, forming an accidental archive — a library composed not of professional authors, but of everyday people.

The diary project is over and Pehrson no longer gives diaries away for free. But if you'd like to commission a diary or book binding project, click the "Commission an Artwork" button below. Occasionaly Pehrson creates and sells diaries and other binding projects on the gallery store. To browse, click the "Shop the Gallery Store" button below.