Pouch on a bent branch
Manufactured by Joe Hogan
Ireland, 2020
Rhododendron wood, willow rods
Measurements
74 x 69 x 52h cm
29,1 x 27,2 x 20,5h in
Edition
Produced in exclusive for SIDE GALLERY
Biography
Joe Hogan is an Irish basket maker and finalist at the LOEWE Craft Prize 2018. LOEWE and creative director Jonathan Anderson’s admiration of his craft skill was confirmed when his distinctive woven baskets were selected to appoint one of the rooms at the Spring Summer 2019 show in Paris. Weaving baskets since 1978, Hogan embraces established traditions as a starting point to explore new techniques and designs for his vessels. The colours of his native landscape and the naturally occurring willow that grows around Loch na Fooey have profoundly impacted his work, turning his decision to move to the remote and wild coastal region into an advantage.
In tribute to his country´s weaving heritage, he makes age-old baskets like the creel (a donkey pannier) and the skib (a potato basket), whilst also crafting unique sculptural works that illuminate a fresh potential for willow weaving Working through a time in which his country’s basketry industry almost disappeared – reducing to maybe just four or five active basket makers – Hogan’s work has helped to breathe life into the community and open up new frontiers for Irish basketry.