Movers & Shakers

Meet some of today’s visionary designer-makers keeping age-old crafts alive, honouring the past and shaping the future

- KATE WORTHINGTON

Hopewood Baskets

This creative duo are shining a spotlight on the ancient craft of willow weaving

Sarah Loughlin and Marcus Wootton handweave willow goods from their home studio in Worcestershire's Wyre Forest. With backgrounds in fine art and teaching and in photography respectively, the pair were drawn to this ancient craft for its simplicity, connection to nature and hands-on techniques. 'Working with a natural material is very special to us,' says Sarah. 'Our tools and methods are simple and unchanged in hundreds of years, a vital and valuable link to basketmakers of the past. In a year-round process, the baskets are made of willow from their own osier beds; it is harvested in the winter and carefully dried in several stages over eight to 12 months, then soaked in water to make it pliable, which can take several weeks. "Willow is a wonderfully versatile and fascinating material and we're led by what it is capable of, says Sarah, referring to Hopewood's designs that range from the purely functional to the more sculptural. 'My work is often inspired by form, from ceramics to sculpture, whereas Marcus' influences come from nature - patterns, shapes, structures and textures found in the woodlands where he grew up. Alongside creating products, Hopewood also runs regular basket weaving courses.

hopewoodbaskets.co.uk

Marmor Paperie

The maker bringing a contemporary and joyful twist to the traditional craft of marbling