I have been a maker of sorts since very young. A shy and quiet child perhaps it allowed a way of expression, an outlet when words weren’t said.

Art, particularly Sculpture and a love for animals especially horses have always been my interests in life.

I was lucky to have such freedom, yet having graduated from Art College, I worked in travel for years until I couldn’t bare it any longer and decided to trust my decision to forge my own path.I decided to learn the craft of upholstery.

It was a joy to be making again, I utilised all my new skills creating bespoke pieces from my own designs together with reupholstering interesting frames. The individual items garnered a lot of press and attention selling far and wide. I worked for Interior Designers, property developers, antique dealers, hotels, bars, shop interiors including having pieces in Liberty and private homes.

At some point I found leather an interesting material and proceeded on a weekend course to learn how to decorate the surface of leather. The course led me on to a new path busily tooling and decorating leather for my bespoke pieces. My first collection Flora and Fauna showed in the Project Space at Collect the International Art Fair for Contemporary Objects.

A couple of years later I received the Cockpit Arts / Leathersellers’ Award. This allowed me to explore and exploit the use of traditional leather working techniques by creating my first series Bird Brain, 10 life-size leather bird sculptures of which Self Reliance 2 sold at the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Show.

As a process based artist i have always seen my upholstery and leather work as 2 separate entities. However, I now see a thread which binds my work with its texture and form, how the materials chosen and manipulated can be developed in to something other than their known ‘place’. Both crafts need time and patience with the many layers of application and possible outcomes.

I still work for Interior designers, private and commercial clients, TV and Film for both upholstery and leather work, of which I exhibit, take on commissions and have collectors worldwide. Based in South Bucks near London please use the contact form to make an enquiry or call 07958611910.

Image courtesy Alun Callender