What first led you to work with leather? 

For me leather occupies a wonderfully creative space balanced between textiles and metals. Leather has many of the great qualities of fabric such as flexibility and tactility, but it does not fray.  Leather can be formed and moulded like a metal, but the process is much more immediate than with gold or silver.  The lightness of the leather also allows me to work on a larger scale knowing that the finished piece will be comfortable to wear.

Freehand – lines

Do you colour your leather yourself?

I usually work with leather that is already dyed and then colour the edges myself.  This is a core element of my practice, and I work continuously on developing new colours and brighter finishes.  There are, however, some pieces where I dye the leather myself.

Is there a certain type of leather you prefer to use and why?

I use vegetable tanned leather as it has a richness, robustness, stiffness and importantly the ability to mould into twists and other forms.  I also love the fact that vegetable tanning is the oldest form of tanning and uses plant tannins to build flexibility and durability into the leather.

Multicoloured Triangulation

Expand about how, ‘Making the Cut’ influenced your work?

‘Making the Cut’ represents a pivotal change in how I develop new work.  I am now committed to only using offcuts, which usually end up in land fill, to create new pieces.  This shift offers not only a greener approach to making but also new challenges in my design process and construction techniques as I shift from using strips of leather as my starting point, to other shapes and sizes.

Making the Cut Brooch 2

Tell us about how you have been able to get your jewellery into leading Art Gallery stores in London and New York?

I was very fortunate to do a fair called ‘Treasure’ in central London a year after I graduated and it was there that I met the buyers from the Victoria & Albert Museum, and Tate Britain and Tate Modern.  My jewellery being at these two prestigious museums gave me the confidence to do a trade fair in New York and brought my work to the attention of the wonderful Bryna Pomp who invited me to participate in the MAD About Jewellery show in New York a few years later.

Expand on the importance of Cockpit for you and your art.

Stacking-Neckpiece Black-Gold

Cockpit Studios is an incredible social enterprise that houses over 175 makers in two locations in London.  Being part of a community of diverse and talented craftspeople from milliners and weavers to glass engravers and silversmiths (and more) gives me access to an enormous range of expertise, support and inspiration.  I share my studio with 4 other jewellers who are my creative ‘family’. Cockpit also provides excellent business development support which has made a real difference to my practice.  More recently, the fact that there are several leatherworkers at Cockpit who can provide me with high quality leather offcuts, has really become really valuable!

What special tools do you need for your art practice?

My tools span those used for leatherworking such as a strapcutter (my favourite tool, so simple but so effective) to those used for metal working or jewellery making such as files and riveting hammers.

How have commissions helped develop your jewellery?

Working with clients to create a piece is extremely rewarding.  One client encouraged me to redesign the invisible clasp for the ‘Stacking Necklace’ and the solution I developed for her is now used in other pieces too.  I am forever grateful to her for this commission.

Stacking Neckpiece – Black & Gold

Take, ‘Twist and Shout’ and explain some of the special work you have had to develop for this piece?

A few years ago, I made a version of my ‘Twist and Shout’ edged with gold leaf.  I was able to do this thanks to Aline Cathy David, a professional gilder who conveniently has a studio opposite me at Cockpit.  Together we experimented to find the best way to prepare and polish the cut edge of the leather for gilding. There was a lot of work in involved to prepare the four long bendy edges which made up the piece and I had to make special stand so the leather stood rigid when polishing it.

Twist and Shout – Gilded Twist

How is gold added in ‘Freehand Lines Necklace’ ?

Unlike the ‘Twist and Shout’ above, gold is added to the surface of the leather for the ‘Freehand Lines Necklace’, rather than the edge. I learnt how tool gold leaf onto leather using the traditional method used by bookbinders and then adapted it to my practice.

Your brooches are large, but light discuss the importance of weight and size with jewellery.

Working with leather enables me to make brooches as large as I like, as the weight of the leather element is minimal.  I love to make brooches that make a bold and colourful statement; I like to think of them as wearable mini sculptures. I take into careful consideration the type of metal fixing I make to ensure that the brooch sits well on the garment and remains lightweight.

How is ‘Freeform Squares’ worn?  What stops it from falling?

Freeform Squares Necklace – modelled

‘Freeform Squares’ is one of those pieces where there is no right way to wear it!  It can be wrapped around the neck once or even twice, or the smaller end can simply be pulled through the larger squares at the other end to make a loop.  The stiffness of the leather stops the squares from falling out of shape.  In fact, I carefully select the part of the skin where the fibres are most tightly packed to ensure this.

Comment on why you combine pearls with leather in your jewellery.

Rhapsody in Pearl – modelled 2 – square

I love to combine pearls with my jewellery as the lustre of the pearl complements the fine surface texture of leather. With black leather I love the near monochrome palette that this combination brings.  Pearls are very lightweight so I am able to use pearls freely and often in large quantities to add a playful element.

Contact:

Tania Pepper

Email: tania@taniaclarkehall.com

Web Page:www.taniaclarkehall.com

Deborah Blakeley, Melbourne, Australia

Interview by Deborah Blakeley, July 2025

Images on these pages are all rights reserved by Tania Clarke Hall