Meet the Maker: Sebastiaan van Soest

‘My name is Sebastiaan van Soest and I am a gold leather maker. Most people more or less know what is is, but I wonder if they truly know what it entails. It’s leather, covered with silver, gold of other colors. Then it is pressed into a mold to give the leather relief. It is varnished with multiple layers, what makes it a very long lasting process. It has always been a luxury product. Leather a wall coverings is a precursor of wallpaper. We primarily see these kinds of wall coverings in palaces like ‘t Loo. My father was also a gold leather maker and he taught me everything. Unfortunately he died young and that is why I set up a business ten years ago. As far as I know I am the only gold leather maker in the Netherlands. Next to begin a gold leather maker I am an ICT and cooking teacher on a high school for children with difficulties learning. I really enjoy combining these two worlds. The shiny world of gold leather making and the challenging world of teaching.’

 What can Crafts Council do for you?

‘The most important thing is the exchange of knowledge and skills and collaborations. I am not very commercial, but I am trying to learn to be. I would love to work together with other makers.’

More of this entry is available in Dutch.