2017
author
Klaudia Kowalczyk (PL)
title
Basketry re-newed
degree
M.A. project
school
Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków
supervisor
Anna Szwaja
The project draws inspiration from one of the oldest crafts – basket making. The author’s goal is to help save it as a part of Polish cultural heritage and to enrich it with new technological opportunities. Apart from the sheer emotional and social aspect – like the very joy of weaving – she emphasises the economical and ecological value: only local materials are used and so the process of creating the object is self-sufficient. In her project, the author focused on weaving from bulrush (otherwise called “cattail”) and designed new moulds for weaving in a basket maker’s workshop. She employed modern technologies to make them: her solution is based on laser-cut plywood modules, which allow creating several forms of various sizes and therefore, weaving many versatile models of bags. What is more, the author prepared an infographic presenting an optimised schedule of basketry workshops using the moulds of her design.