Sunrise Leather Work

This is our place at No. 12/3/1 Topsia Road. If you know this part of the city, you know it is where all the leather work happens. The smell of the hides is the first thing you notice when you walk into the street. It’s a strong scent, but we don't even smell it anymore. Our space is filled with tools, scraps of leather, and half-finished items. There is always someone cutting or stitching something. We keep our supplies in the back and the work happens right in the middle. The floor is covered in small bits of thread and leather shavings. We sweep it up at the end of every day, but by the next morning, it looks the same again. The light comes in from the front door and one small window. It’s a practical space. We don't have fancy furniture or a front desk. Just benches and tables where the real work gets done. Most of the guys here have been working with leather since they were teenagers. It’s hard on the hands. The skin gets tough and stained. We drink a lot of tea to keep going through the afternoon. The traffic on Topsia Road is constant, with bikes and rickshaws squeezing past each other. We stay focused on the benches until the sun starts to go down. It is just honest work with our hands every single day.