Our Beginnings
We are TERRA NEGRA Studio, a small leather-craft business based in India. This is the story of how we began our shop in 2013. We originally come from the culturally rich Anatolia region in Turkey, which is well-known for unique handicrafts such as pottery, textiles and jewelry. Here, our lives revolved around local arts and crafts, as well as the artisans who made them. In 2012, we
went to India for a two-month backpacking trip. We immediately fell in love with the warm people, the enchanting festivals and the outstanding scenery. Together we travelled through beaches, cities, temples, forts, mountains and forests. One of the places that stood out during our trip was a village in the province of Rajasthan. Here, we saw local women working with leather: embossing, cutting, stitching and coloring. We were pleased to see them working at a leisurely pace, using traditional methods that have been passed on for generations. The results were beautiful, intricate and precious handicrafts. We knew that this place would forever be a part of our lives. A few months (and a lot of research) later, we made one of the biggest decisions in our lives: to move from Turkey to India. We started out by investing in a small family workshop, which was producing leather goods such as bags and journals on a small scale. From the beginning, we wanted to preserve this small production, so we could pay attention to small details as well as develop our own designs without pressure. Despite that, we still have a lot to do each day. But nothing can compare to the joy of making beautiful things, and preserving this fine craft that is becoming ever rare in this age of machines and fast-paced production. You can find the fruits of this story at our shop: unique, handmade and carefully crafted journals. We hope that through these journals you will be able to feel the rustic warmth and the rich tradition of India that we have fallen in love with. And so we hope out story continues for generations to come and so does this delicate art. Until next time,
Terra Negra Studio Team
