Nicola has done more than most would hope for in a lifetime. He is both artist and builder; sculpting leather, wood and bronze with great patience and conviction. What draws me to his pieces is their reassuring firmness and weight; the smell of beeswax and bergamot, the feeling of age and depth and life.

To create his remarkable sculpted 3D leather wall coverings, Nicola draws motifs on a burlap fabric, then fills in the design with leather scraps before upholstering the whole thing in a layer of parchment leather or cowhide. It’s absolutely an experience to sit with.