Pere Pons Andreu
Saddler
Ciutadella, Spain
A saddlery heritage in Menorca
- Pere handcrafts authentic and local saddles and tack
- A second-generation saddler, he learned the historic craft from his father
- His personality shines through tradionally imaginative pieces
At the age of 13, Pere Pons Andreu decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and began learning how to use the different saddlery tools in his workshop. "As a child, when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I already knew I wanted to work with my father," he says. On the island of Menorca, horses are the heart of local patron saint festivals in every town, making a saddler’s work essential to the island's cultural scene. Specialising in crafting traditional Menorcan saddles, Pere sews each of his creations entirely by hand, using only an awl and needles. “My role is to repair and make all the necessary horse tack," he says. "I mainly work with natural leather, but the craft has evolved to require the use of synthetic materials."
INTERVIEW
While I primarily work within tradition to preserve the Menorcan style, unique commissions occasionally allow me to be more imaginative. Those are the moments I enjoy the most. Instead of looking for external references, I prefer to let my creativity flow naturally.
In the past, leather was tanned and wood was treated locally, but this is no longer the case. Nowadays, all materials are imported to Menorca.
Sometimes a client has a very clear idea of what their saddle should look like and I am able to carry it out. My role then is to translate that idea as faithfully as possible.
The environment is vital to my practice. I take all the non-organic waste resulting from my work, such as glue residues and metal scraps, to the Ecopark in Ciutadella. I simply cannot understand how anyone could mistreat our precious, extraordinary and unique planet.
Pere Pons Andreu
Saddler
Ciutadella, Spain
ADDRESS
Address upon request, Ciutadella, Spain
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
Spanish, Catalan
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