Ciaran Hogan

Basketweaver

©Ciaran Hogan

A slow craft

Ciaran's craft takes time and patience
He grows his own materials
He weaves colour into his baskets

Basket weaving wasn’t at the forefront of Ciaran Hogan’s mind as a teenager. He gave up working with his father, master basket weaver Joe Hogan, in favour of a more exciting job in the local pub. In his adult years he had a number of jobs before coming home to his father's craft at the age of 30. Now, when he speaks about the techniques and materials used to create a basket ,you get the sense he is where he is meant to be, doing what he was born to do. His craft requires him to be not just a maker but also a farmer. With his father, they share a willow farm which they harvest each year for their creations. He is one of around only 15 full-time basket makers in the country who keep this tradition alive.

Interview

©Ciaran Hogan

©Ciaran Hogan

How do you get colour into your baskets?: A lot of people think they are dyed but actually these are different species of willow. The ‘sally rods’ which would be native to Ireland are all shades of brown, so this it is relatively new to have these coloured rods in the work.
What is your creative process?: It starts with the materials, growing and harvesting the willow. I cut it into lengths and then store it to allow for the natural shrinkage of the rods. They get re-hydrated a week before being used. So, I need to know when I will be using which rods.
Is the style you use traditionally Irish?: There is a European style with regards to weaving willow, with shared techniques across countries but there are specifically Irish forms such as turf basket, a skib or a ciseog for potatoes and the donkey creel. These are shapes synonymous with rural Ireland.
How has this craft changed over the years?: I think baskets have moved from being purely functional, rural objects to become desirable additions to a modern home. I have started to explore some more artistic forms too, ones which are purely decorative, giving my craft a more contemporary edge.

Ciaran Hogan is a master artisan: he began his career in 2011 and he started teaching in 2012