Izet Sheshivari graduated from the École des arts décoratifs (Geneva) in 2001. He won the prize for the best CFC in graphic design in Switzerland. He then pursued a bachelor's degree in visual communication at ECAL and worked as an assistant to Françoise Bridel at CFP Arts, where he developed a curriculum for experimental typography for six years. He has conducted workshops at various art schools in Switzerland and abroad, including ECAL Lausanne, HEAD in Geneva, ENSBA in Lyon, The Royal School of Art in Stockholm, and Werkplaats Typografie.
In addition to his teaching work, he has ventured into publishing, travelling across Europe, Japan, and the United States, with a six-month residency scholarships in New York in 2012.
He founded Boabooks in Geneva in 2007 and has since published more then hundred books and editions. He is also involved in international art book fairs through collaborations with edition fink, Jungle Books, and tria publishing platform. He is passionate about promoting artist books and has created The Liberated Page, an association dedicated to showcasing and archiving these works for researchers and art students to expand their knowledge in this specific field.
Exhibitions (curation)
Une saison graphique École supérieure d’arts et média de Caen/Cherbourg, 2019
Orphan Papers with Roland Früh, Sitterwerk Art Library, St-Gall, 2018
A Catwalk ECAL during Designing writings, 2017
The Next Page NYABF, MoMA PS1, 2016
The Liberated Page Le Commun, Genève, 2015
Together with Boabooks with Pierre Schwerzmann, SKOPIA Genève, 2014
You own me a book +, NYABF, MoMA PS1, 2013
Art-Rite 16 Printed Matter Inc., New-York, 2012
Blank Book Makers Fondrie Kugler, Genève, 2011
Close-Up Galerie Forde, Genève, 2010
Exhibitions (selection)
Behind the Pages with Miriam Sturzenegger, House of Books, Zürich, 2024
Boa’s new six with Françoise Bridel, House of Books, Zürich, 2023
L* plaisir du texte with Elizabeth Lebon, Musée des Beaux-Arts du Locle, 2022
Booknesses Artists’ books from the Jack Ginsberg Collection, Johannesburg, 2018
Le livre de photographie et ses auteurs Susanne Bieri, BNS Berne, 2015
The complete series of Boabooks artists’ notepads Circuit, Lausanne, 2015
Same same but different with Donatella Bernardi, Hard Hat, Genève, 2014
Unikat, Unicum. Livres d’artistes du Cabinet des estampes, BNS Berne, 2014
Bibliologie Jérôme Dupeyrat, Frac Haute-Normandie, 2014
The Book Affair Automatic Books, Biennale de Venise, San Lorenzo, 2013
Sir Thomas Trope A. Môle et J. Tiberi, Villa du Parc, Annemasse
D’après Giorgio Luca Lo Pinto, Casa Museo Giorgio de Chirico, Rome
Cosmotopia Donatella Bernardi, Bâtiment d’art Contemporain, Genève
Intérieur, neige Nicolas Giraud, Cneaï = Paris, 2011
England XXI Century Samuel Ostermann, Auckland Central Libraries, 2011
Wallpaperism with Nick Oberthaller, Motel Campo, Genève, 2011
Le livre à venir Stéphane Le Mercier, ESBAS, Strasbourg, 2011
Is a Show, is a Shop, is a Book Maja Wismer, Latvian Center, Riga, 2011
Boabooks Artist’s Notepads La Vitrine, Paris, 2011
Booked Up! Daniel Baumann, New Jerseyy, Bâle, 2011
La marge d’erreur Le Bureau/, La Synagogue de Delme, 2011
Scholarships, prizes and residencies
The Liberated Page support fund OFC and République et canton de Genève 2022
Fair Enough Japan distribution support, Pro Helvetia, 2020
Fair Enough World Tour distribution support, Pro Helvetia, 2019
The Next Page Exhibition at MoMA PS1, Queen, Pro Helvetia, 2017
Boabooks nomination federal design awards, 2016
The Liberated Page nomination federal art award, 2015
The Most Beautiful Swiss Books Pierre Schwerzmann, 2014
Residence in New York, Service de la culture du canton de Genève DIP, 2012
Grant for the project Les livres dont vous n’êtes pas le héros., 2012
Mediation grant for the exhibition Blank Book Makers, 2011
Grant Berthoud, Lissignol-Chevalier & Galland Genève, 2009
Teaching and seminars (selection)
The Liberated Page, Centre de la photographie, Genève, 2024
Fair Enough Swiss Tour several locations in Switzerland, 2021
Fair Enough Japan Tour several locations in Japan, 2020
Master Type Design ECAL, Lausanne, 2019
Boabooks & The Liberated Page, Werkplaats Typografie, 2018
Designing Writing ECAL, Lausanne, 2017
About diagrams Masters CCC, HEAD, Genève, 2015
How to publish a book? Raster Galerie, Varsovie, 2013
Le livre de demain ENSBA (Lyon), 2013
On publishing The Royale School of Art Stockholm, 2012
Image-mouvement, image-temps, HEAD, Genève, 2010
Boabooks notepad’s École des arts décoratifs, Strasbourg, 2010
Bibliography (selection)
Swiss Artists’ Books pp. 338-339, Susanne Bieri, Verlag Walther König, Köln 2022
La bibliothèque nationale suisse à 125 ans p. 163 OFC 2020
IDEA 393 international graphic art and typography Japan 2021
IDEA 390 Fair Enough / Guest with Books from Japan pp. 161-176
Boabooks – Des artistes et des livres pp. 84-87, F. Ninghetto in Kunst Bulletin 2018
Les livres et l’art – quelques Smacks®… in Backcover, 2009, n. 2 été