MAY 2022 / In the late summer of 2021 I wove a ‘basket’ from willow rods, in collaboration with weaver Barbara Mahler. It is not just a basket, but a specific one with its own form and characteristics. Look here.
Right now I am making a ‘woven poem’ to accompany this basket. This poem consists of quotes from legends and stories in which the basket has a symbolic or mythical function. These quotes are taken from H.H. Bobarts’ ‘Basketwork through the ages’, a remarkable publication that I luckily encountered at the Nationaal Vlechtmuseum (National Museum of Basketry) in Noordwolde.
The ‘woven poem’ will literally be woven. I am extremely happy that for this project I am working together with inkle and tablet weaving expert Marieke Kranenburg (portrayed on the right image above). Her skills, expertise and network are crucial in this project. Visit her blog (Dutch only).
A team of experienced weavers tested out a variety of techniques, materials and letter patterns. Based on that we made the final decisions on colors, materials and techniques. It will take a while before I can show you the results, since weaving by hand is a time consuming proces. But it is nice to give you a glimpse of the proces already.
The execution of ‘woven poem’ could only start because of the support of Fonds Kwadraat, that provided an artist loan that made the collaboration with Marieke Kranenburg and the team of weavers possible. Thank you so much!
