His art studio is like no other. There are no half-squeezed tubes of paint, no canvases or watercolour brushes, but instead, half a dozen bull hides hang from the ceiling above a wall of knives that would make Jack the Ripper rub his hands in excitement. But brutal slashing couldn't be further from how Mark uses his razor sharp tools. He's carved a different path entirely.

Whilst technology has surpassed man's needs, Mark Evans seems to be a modern day throwback to the prehistoric ages - man with knife makes art! After having studied Fine Art in London, a freak accident led to Mark's discovery, (or man's re-discovery) of a modern yet primal approach to create art. Mark hand-etches leather hides to expose varied shades of suede, he carves and cuts through the leather surface to create his epic pieces.

He selects and imports animal hides from all around the world and has perfected the leather tanning process, a key element to achieve the varied tones, which are integral to the overall composition of the piece itself. The process takes surgical precision, incredible patience and immense attention to detail as Mark removes less than a tenth of a millimetre of the leather surface.



Man has crafted leather since time began - it's the stuff of cavemen, warriors, cowboys and rebels - leather has always been considered cool..always!

Mark has spent over a decade developing and perfecting his technique. He believes in continually pushing the envelope and insists there's always scope to learn and develop, such as finding a new knife or cutting tool which renders a totally different finish on the leather. Over the years Mark's knife collection has grown to include an Egyptian Neolithic flint knife (circa 5000 BC) and a World War II Officer's knife but the blade most precious to him is his first ever pocket knife, given to him by his granddad as a 7 year old boy.

Mark adds "Animal hides were once a living, breathing creature and can be used to create beautiful works that inspire and rouse people, that's why I do what I do".

Leather is ancient, yet ultra modern, it has heritage yet it's very rock 'n' roll. Leather is used to cover the seats in top supercars and yet been used on regal thrones throughout history. It is very masculine but can also be feminine and very sensual. Leather gets better with age and in our plastic, synthetic, digital world, leather has an integrity.







Check out his web site www.markevansart.com