Karl’s work spans decades of experimentation, expression, and evolution.
His Archive—ranging from personal studies and tests to artefacts and finished works—offers a window into how Karl sees and shapes the material of leather.
Karl Schmitt (*1939, Germany) is a leather artist with decades of experience in both the technical and conceptual aspects of working with leather. His works are defined by precise craftsmanship, subtle material emphasis, and a refined sense of form and surface. Schmitt treats leather not merely as a material but as a carrier of cultural memory and personal expression. Through his relief pieces, he transforms the robust medium into abstract, almost graphic compositions that are both tactile and visually compelling.
In 2025, Schmitt presented a selection of his leather reliefs at FOMO Art Space in Zurich as part of a joint exhibition with Leandra Agazzi. The presentation, held during Zurich Art Weekend, explored the tension between controlled craftsmanship and free artistic gesture. With his work, Karl Schmitt positions himself at the intersection of traditional artisan techniques and contemporary art practice, drawing from a lifelong engagement with materiality, structure, and reduction.
