“I’ve always loved drawing and always been into painting,” says Airdrie’s George Silaghi.
He and his family moved to the city five years ago from Calgary. Born in Romania, this father of two has lived in Canada since 1985 and has a lifelong interest in art, having experimented with different disciplines when he was younger.
“I did window-painting work for Christmas and some cutouts for a rafting company where you stick your head through for a photograph,” Silaghi says. “I also had an apprenticeship as a tattoo artist and then, for some reason, I’m like, ‘You know what? I don’t want to do this.’”
An electrical wholesaler by trade, Silaghi never stopped being creative, and, with the move to Airdrie and his children getting older, he saw the opportunity to find where he fit as an artist.
“You find a way to make it happen and hopefully your family’s okay with it,” he says,
In his spare time, Silaghi painted and sketched, working on projects that interested him, but he also began experimenting with a product called Kydex, a durable thermoplastic PVC material.
“It’s very strong and is used to make knife and gun sheaths,” he explains. “I had two co-workers who were doing this, but I had the vision of using leather in combination with the Kydex.”
When one of his friends asked him to make a knife sheath out of the material for a hunting knife, Silaghi agreed.
“I’m like, okay, but I want to do something really special for him because he’s my best friend,” he says.
Silaghi started asking his co-workers about working with leather and where to get it. As he began working on the project, Silaghi says he had a moment of clarity.
“I’m like, this is what I want to do with the rest of my life as an artist,” he says. “Then I got obsessed.”
A fan of wilderness mysteries, Silaghi labelled his latest artistic venture Sasquatch Leather Creations.
“I’ve had a long affinity for the Sasquatch,” he says. “Do they exist? Who knows? This world is very mysterious.”
Sasquatch, skulls and other intricate designs appear on Silaghi’s pieces, but learning how to work with leather was a process of exploration and self-education.
“Basically, YouTube, and then I’d go to Tandy Leather [a supplier in Calgary]. They know me well there, so if I’ve got questions, I ask them,” he says.
For the last four years, Silaghi has been turning leather into elaborately decorated knife sheaths, artistic belts, wallets and other items. Using a laser to burn images into the leather, he dyes for a desired effect, stitches and rivets where necessary, and then uses a clear coat to finish the item.
His prized design is a custom sheath for a survival knife. An avid hiker, Silaghi says he’d always wanted something that could be used in the bush for an emergency situation. His idea took shape as a unique, but beautifully crafted sheath that holds a knife with an easy release, a compass, rope, a flashlight or any of several other items useful in the bush.
“My concept was to have enough stuff on my hip so I can survive for at least three days if I have to,” Silaghi says.
He generates interest in his work by word of mouth and through a series of videos on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, where he documents his process and his latest designs. He’s had enquiries from Ontario and even Australia.
Surrounded by the machines and tools he uses to craft his own designs, Silaghi feels he’s finally found his place.
“I could do a lot of things, but I get to do what I love, so I’m happy,” he says.
Learn more on Facebook @sasquatchleather
