Shanti Ganesha

Shanti Ganesha is a young Indian-Venetian craftswoman who has found her creative voice in the world of sustainable leather goods. Operating from her small workshop-meet-store near Campo Santa Maria Formosa, which she opened in 2022, Shanti specializes in creating contemporary, handcrafted leather bags and accessories—belts, pot or bottle holders, and more—characterized by their minimalist designs––a reflection of her artistic background and love for experimentation.

Shanti’s journey into leather crafting began in 2013 in Trieste, where she learned the basics of leather work, and evolved from a personal passion into a professional pursuit during the pandemic, when she started her brand Meracu—anagramming the word curame, meaning leather in the local dialect. Her creations are inspired by the organic shapes found in nature and the geometry of origami, her bags often transform from one form to another, offering both functionality and beauty, challenging traditional design norms while maintaining a focus on practicality and comfort.  Some of them hold no stitches, with parts entirely intertwined.

The craft is strictly by hand, with Shanti personally overseeing every stage of production, from cutting and stitching to the final edge finishing. She uses only vegetable-tanned leather from the Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana, a more eco-friendly choice that is both durable and biodegradable, in line with her true commitment to sustainable practices, all the while creating items made with small leather trimmings, and offering repairs.