Jorge Centofanti was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1944. Before leaving his country in 1968 he trained and worked as a journalist for a weekly national publication, writing articles on travel, culture and the arts.
He then travelled through Venezuela, the United States of America, Italy and Spain, before settling down in France.
In Paris his life took a different direction: training in leather-work at the workshops of Alberto Ozzimo he spent four years acquiring a vast technical experience and developing his artistic skills.
In 1973 he moved to England with his wife, Kristin, and set up his own studio first in London and then in Tunbridge Wells. Encouraged by private patrons and by sponsorship from the Institute for Cultural Research, his investigation on the origins of the Guadamecí art (traced to the city of Cordoba in 800 A.D.) led to a collection of 12 leather wall hangings which were exhibited at the Federation of British Artists in 1977.
Since then he has become the leading exponent of Guadamecí, has had two one-man shows in New York and London (his most recent in May 2001) and has participated in 25 group exhibitions in the UK and abroad.
He has designed murals for corporate boardrooms, calligraphic designs for luxury Hotels, hangings for Middles Eastern Palaces, book bindings for a Crown Prince and many individual commissions of his work have gone to private collectors in the Lebanon, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United States, Japan, Ireland, France, Hungary, Germany and Spain. In 1992 he was commissioned a Coat of Arms by the City Council of Northampton, embossed and gilded on a natural russet hide, which was unveiled by HM Queen Elizabeth II.
Three Museums include his work in their collection: The Coach Leather Museum in New York; the Museum of Leather in Northampton and the Walsall Leather Museum.

Acknowledgements
Jorge Centofanti wishes to express his gratitude to Kristin Peyton C. and to his family for their passionate support; to Riad Kocache for his patient help with the calligraphies; to all his patrons for their encouragement; to his Teacher, upon whom be peace, for leading the way.