Nashville textile artist Emily Brown uses leather to craft her modern, puzzle-like wall art.
Artist: Born in Birmingham, AL, but grew up mainly in Chicago, IL. At age 13, Brown began working with leather textiles and crafted her first leather handbag. In high school, she participated in fashion classes and competitions.
Despite an interest in art, Brown made a choice to earn a BA in entertainment & music business over art at Anderson University (IN).
After college, she moved to Nashville, where she has lived for the last eight years, to work in the music business.
Company/studio: E.E. Brown Leatherworks, based in Nashville, started in summer of 2021. Brown works in her home studio.
In the beginning: After Brown and her husband bought their first house in 2021, she wanted to create some art for the bare walls in the living room. She did, with some leftover leather that she had been saving for years.
After a few friends saw the two pieces of art Brown made, they asked if she would ever make leather artwork to sell.
Art & materials: Modern wall art using 100% leather. ($400 to $5,000-plus).
“I typically don’t buy leather in full anymore,” said Brown. “I work with other creators for scraps and off cuts.”
What’s popular:
- Neat & Smoke” ($4,650). The framed 2-D leather work is for sale at Chauvet Arts in downtown Nashville.
- “Florence Collection” ($3,250) of five unique pieces inspired by her time of studying in Florence, Italy, studying international business for five months.
Inspirations:
- Mid-century modern.
- Architect Frank Lloyd Wright
- Brown’s father, an architect.
- Marquetry, a puzzle-like technique.
“My brain works in puzzles and enjoys piecing things together,” said Brown, who employs a range of techniques, including embossing, carving and dyeing to craft intricate designs and textures.
Favorite tools:
- Master Tool Mighty Wonder 4 Ton Clicker Press, which clicker press helps her cut out leather with certain dies for a clean and perfect cut each time.
- A good tub of Tokonole, which isn’t exactly a tool, but she uses it as one. Tokonole is used mainly for burnishing and creating a sleek edge to a purse or wallet. “However, I use it to smooth the edges of my cuts and to eliminate any furry raw edges of the leather,” said Brown.
Recent project: The Living Room Collection of wall art exclusively for Tacit Collective, an online gallery and art consultancy dedicated to female artists. Check tacitcollective.com/en-us/pages/emily-brown.
What’s next: 2024 Homes of Distinction in Nashville, May. Brown will have three to four large pieces on display in a home. The event is sponsored by Nfocus magazine.
Where to buy:
Get social: Instagram: @eebrownleatherworks
