Sculpting a whole new world out of leather
- Valentine brings new expressions to the use of leather
- Her specialities include leather marquetry and 3D sheathing
- Colour combinations are an integral part of her work
“I was born into it, it was an obvious choice”, says Valentine Huyghues Despointes of her desire to work with leather. Thanks to her father, a car saddler, Valentine was immersed in the craft since childhood. Although she started by studying fashion design, she soon turned to leather goods, determined to learn the craft and its technical foundations. As a self-taught leatherworker, she first explored the material by making small accessories, but also by covering and creating various unexpected objects out of leather. “I see myself as a leather sculptor. Someone who brings this noble material back to life,” says Valentine. Over the years, she has fashioned a whole world of leather, full of colour, where refined and surprising handcrafted pieces come together.
Discover her work
INTERVIEW
I was living in New York City at the time, making prototypes of bags, which I found very badly made. I was not satisfied at all with their quality. That is when I decided to go back to France and learn leather craftsmanship.
No, I am self-taught in many techniques, techniques that cannott be learnt anywhere. Leather marquetry, for example, I learnt on my own and developped my own techniques, that I now teach. The same goes for 3D sheathing, a process that I have studied through my own experimentation.
I started at the age of 28 when I was studying leather goods. I soon started to experiment, creating classic decorative pieces, but also covering vintage objects to transform them with leather. I discovered the many creative possibilities this offers, and I explored the technical limits to create more surprising pieces.
My specialities are trompe-l'œil, models and the creation of installations that challenge traditional techniques. I would also include innovation and research, as well as the development of leather sculptures.
