Sue Kirk

Sue has been weaving with organically grown willows since 1998. Originally inspired by heritage traditions of basketry and the sustainability of the craft. Living rurally and working outdoors, harvesting willow by hand and the repetition of weaving creates a cyclical lifestyle rooted in nature. Willow benefits the environment by increasing diversity. Baskets last a lifetime, reducing the use of plastics. Baskets will eventually decay and rot into the soil, the cycle is complete and has no negative impact.

Sue is also drawn to the deep-rooted social history of willow basketry in the UK. Traditional skills have been passed down through generations of makers, Sue feels privileged to be part of this heritage and teaches regularly to keep the craft alive for the next generation of makers. Techniques have hardly changed, all baskets are made by hand, no machine has been invented to take the place of the weaver’s hands.

Sue’s contemporary work pushes the boundaries of what’s often perceived as a basket. The pieces she creates can be interpreted as a vessel, sculpture, or non-functional basket. Sue enjoys working with different coloured varieties of willow rods to enhance her work, carefully applying the rods to create a painterly surface. Sue also admires the linear quality of the willow rods. When creating the sculptural pieces, she weaves the rods to give an impression of fluidity and movement. Form is also important in her work, finding inspiration from rocks, boulders and pebbles which have been naturally shaped and sculpted by the weather.