Art

My artwork is more of a personal creative expression rather than trend led. I use leather and suede as my medium, creating wall hangings or panels to a variety of scales. I like to work with leather and suede for its durable, tactile nature and richness of colour. I experiment by hand embossing, layering, cutting, punching holes, twisting, stitching, painting and hand printing onto my medium.

I have exhibited across Europe at fairs and in galleries, also working with art consultants.  I have worked to commission for private homes, corporate spaces, bars and restaurants. I started by taking my work out to an Interior Design trade fair ‘Index’ in Dubai in 1998 after winning a design competition and returned with enthusiasm.

Artwork is in the collections of corporations such as PWC, IBM, Fritz Hansen in Denmark, Hogan & Hartson and Withers in London. My work is also featured on Fritz Hansen furniture promotion video and artwork and lamps appear in a full length feature film ‘Mint’, produced in Denmark.

My artwork is simple and abstract in form, I try to achieve a real sense of balance and calmness in my creations. I adore this quote from Constantin Brancusi. This is essentially what I would like to convey in my work, a pure essence of the subject, just a spirit of the matter, abstracted.

‘When you see a fish you don’t think of it’s scales, do you? You think of its speed, it’s floating, flashing body seen through the water. If I made fins and eyes and scales, I would arrest its movement, give a pattern or shape of reality. I want just the flash of its spirit.’

I worked to commission for a Zagat-rated contemporary Indian restaurant called Babur  in South London in 2005.  The project was a refurbishment of their existing restaurant. Initial inspiration for the project came from an astounding horoscope painting (Rasi Chakra) by Bengali natural dye artist Ajit Kumar Das  which sits in the entrance to the restaurant. George Dorgan (Project Consultant and Food Writer) kindly commented:

‘Sian is very talented and uses her great breadth of design knowledge to create pieces which always exceed expectations. She created two triptychs for a client of mine, Babur restaurant in London and guests have been remarking on these works since they were hung in 2005.’