The first inspirational spark
The story of Artmant begins in the town of Masuleh: an area in my home country located somewhere between mountains, clouds, and sky. It is right here that the sight of a small, plain leather bag catches my attention. The bag itself is not very attractive to me, but its design, construction, and price gets me thinking. I have always been passionate about creating and shaping forms with my hands while also prioritizing the efficiency and value of handwork products.
It was in a flash of inspiration, electrified by this series of thoughts and incidences that led me to see this bag at this particular time and place, that a creative spark surfaced in my mind.
The first steps with leather
Where to find material? After a diligent search, I discovered a leather goods store in the back alleys of Naqsh Jahan Bazaar in Isfahan. When I entered the store, I squeezed through a narrow entrance which led to a chaotic mess inside. The floor, the shelves, and almost every nook was filled with all kinds of leather;
The only thing I remember about the customers is that they were all girls with black hijabs! The store owner was an old man with a knitted cap and white-gray stubble, sitting on an old metal chair covered with lambskin.
I bought some small leather pieces in varying colors and textures for a nominal price and brought them home. But what should I do now? I knew that thread, needles, and cutting tools were the basics I had to work with at home.
The fire is lit and the work begins! My first attempt was a bit tedious. I broke three needles and had to use pliers to finish the work, although the stitches were a bit crooked at the end. It was puzzling, I couldn’t understand how all the girls I saw in the leather store could master it! A few days later, in a hardware store, the mystery was solved for me, and I realized that I should have first poked holes in the leather with a special tool named a pricking iron – and with this discovery, sewing the prepared pieces together was effortless and here is where the story takes flight!
