Ben Brucker

The legacy of craftsmanship

• Ben never uses templates in the making process
• He likes to experiment and his creations reflect his personal experiences
• He uses the objects he makes on a daily basis

Ben Brucker comes from a family with a six-generation tradition of craftsmanship. He developed a passion for handmade objects in childhood, during his years spent in the workshop of his grandfather, a woodworker. Furthermore, his father, a valued model maker, passed on his love for exploration and adventure, leading Ben to the leather craft he practises today. In 2017, he decided to take up leatherworking based on his previous extended practical knowledge. It was a natural new beginning for him after many years of working as a church fresco painter, as he had studied theology in Romania and Byzantine art in Greece. To be closer to nature, he opened his workshop – which he shares with his wife, a furniture restorer – in an off-grid area, far from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Interview

©Casian Podarelu

©Casian Podarelu

Why did you choose this craft?

I chose it out of curiosity. My gratitude to the six generations of artisan ancestors before me also influenced my decision, along with my need for top-notch leather goods. I felt it like a duty as an artist to provide, keep alive and develop ancestral craftsmanship.

Do you master any specific techniques?

I usually use genuine full-grain vegetable-tanned cow leather and master almost all the old techniques of my craft. I have never used a pattern during the making process, so I developed my own way of envisioning the final product.

How did you decide which products to make?

My products are designed primarily for use and abuse, so I am driven by necessity more than aesthetics. But from an aesthetics and engineering point of view, I am always inspired by nature. I live and work in an off-grid location, so my craft is entirely related to my lifestyle.

How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?

For me, tradition and innovation are the wings of the same bird. So flying is the fine art of using ancestral solutions to modern challenges. I believe that things that are made well look right. This belief deepens my respect and gratitude for my craft.

Ben Brucker is a rising star: he began his career in 2018 and he started teaching in 2019

Works

©Ben Brucker

©Ben Brucker

©Ben Brucker

©Gabriela Manci

©Ben Brucker

Where