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Transforming E-Waste into Artist Books

By Ellie Dumigan | 4 June 2025

As part of our commitment to sustainability areas at State Library, The Edge is excited to present a Transforming E-Waste workshop series with Suzon Fuks, an interdisciplinary “artivist” whose work bridges art, science, and the environment. Suzon is fascinated by the intricate beauty of electronics hidden inside phones, hard drives, and other obsolete devices. Rather than seeing them as waste, she views these components as rich artistic materials, full of potential for storytelling, reflection, and transformation.  

Upcycled E-Waste turned into wearable mini sculptures such as earrings and necklaces.

Golden earrings on a white background, the earrings are made out of up cycled e-waste. They are a bright golden orange colour with gold hooks, they appear to be made out of electronic components and computer chips.
A close up photo of a pair of up cycled blue earrings made out of e-waste. The Earrings are a dark blue colour with golden metal pieces, it has a sliver hook.
A matching jewelry set made from repurposed circuit board components. The set includes a necklace with a round wire choker and a circular pendant, and a pair of dangle earrings featuring similar copper-toned electronic parts shaped into abstract floral forms.
A statement necklace featuring a semi-circular brushed metal base adorned with a black circuit board component. The board displays intricate electronic details with orange and copper accents, suspended from a sleek, silver cable choker with a minimalist clasp.

Suzon has created a wide range of works, but for this blog, we’re focusing on her artist books, beautiful, sculptural pieces that redefine what a book can be. You’ll be able to create your own at the upcoming 3D Artist Books with Suzon Fuks workshop on 14 June at The Edge.  

State Library of Queensland is home to its own renowned Artist’s Books Collection, which forms part of the Australian Library of Art. It’s one of the largest publicly accessible collections of its kind in Australia, holding around 1,700 works by both Australian and international artists. These works challenge the concept and form of a book, pushing boundaries in shape, structure, and material. Some include audio, video, installations, performance, or online elements. They invite audiences to reconsider what a book is, how it communicates, and how it can be experienced, an idea Suzon deeply engages with in her practice.  

 

A close up photo of a mini recycled sculpture titled Obsolete. It is a sliver rectanble box, with green ciricuts and a bright yellow electronic componet.

Since 2015, Suzon has explored the idea of the book as a medium for triggering thought, transitioning from analogue to digital, and creating space for both intimate and communal experiences. While decluttering her studio, she began a series titled OBSOLETE—a body of artist books made from dismantled hard drives, zip drives, and cables. Each piece in the series invites questions about sustainability, consumption, and the speed at which technology becomes outdated. Some works feature CD and cassette players or film reels, while others incorporate cables, copper circuits, motherboards, and other discarded hardware, each one transformed into a work of meaning and memory.  

This photo showcases a 'book' like object created from a CD case. The book is open and on top of a white background, 'pages' are covered in words with the words "KINDLE" "Passage to the digital world" clearly visible on the first page above some green technology circuits. More circuits are visible across the other pages, with the middle page a yellow colour.

Earlier this year, Suzon presented e-Galaxy, a large-scale installation in the Knowledge Walk at State Library of Queensland. The work offered public activations and workshops and invited viewers to reflect on the legacy of digital technology and the stories embedded in the machines we leave behind. Suzon’s career is internationally recognised, she has received the prestigious three-year Australia Council for the Arts Fellowship, a Copeland Fellowship at the Five Colleges in Massachusetts, a Fellowship at the Australian Choreographic Centre, and an Asialink Residency in India.  

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e-Galaxy, Suzon Fuks, 2024
a group of people sitting in the middle of a e-waste technology and electronica waste that has be placed into a spiral shape. Old Laptops are clearly visible and facing towards the camera.
A photo of the back of artist Suzon Fuks, with bright blue hair. She is wearing a black midi dress and is crouched down setting up some circuits in a spiral of a e-waste galaxy. In front of her is a bunch of open laptops and old keyboards.

Now, you can join her in a hands-on workshop where you’ll take apart obsolete electronics and transform the remnants into an artist's book of your own layered with meaning, memory, and possibility. Whether you’re a maker, artist, or simply curious, this is a unique opportunity to learn from a visionary artist and reconsider how we see and use the things we throw away.  

Bookings are essential for the 3D Artist Books with Suzon Fuks workshop on 14 June. Come along and discover the unexpected beauty in broken tech and create something truly one-of-a-kind.  

Or attend the other workshop in this series to learn about creating Recycled Electronic Sculptures on 28 June. And don't forget to explore the State Library's artist book collection for inspiration. 

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A copper coloured "book" the is closed facing the camera on a black background. The white pages can be see and are that book is held closed with three cords. the pages fanning out. The book is a deep copper colour with the front covers being made out of a copper salvaged motherboard.

Copper Motherboard Journal - Closed

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