Craft is never out of fashion'

THE LABOUR OF LOVE 
Esmé specializes in fine shin work. The material for fine shin work is obtained by splitting long white willow branches of approximately 2.50 meters into three or quarters with a special splitting wood. The long strips of willow are extremely precisely cut by hand, on a special planer to thickness and width. After this the bark residues are brushed away. Each fine shin work object is woven around its own wooden mold, such as shoes on a last. Making a fine shin work object is very labor intensive. The result is a fragile-looking wickerwork which, when touched, is still surprisingly sturdy.

ONE OF THE NECESSARY SKILLS
Weaving is an extremely versatile craft and is practiced in many techniques with many materials. And it’s that versatility that keeps Esmé going. She first came across weaving back in 1994, when she read a book about self-sufficient life. Weaving was one of the necessary skills. After following a short course and two years of practice in The Netherlands, she developed the real craft of weaving in Lichtenfels, Germany. Under the wings of Wilfried Popp at the Staatliche Berufsfachschule für Korbflechten, Esmé became the artisan she is today.

MASTER OF THE CRAFT
The wickerwork of Esmé is a gathering of movement, lines, shadows and shapes. To her, craftsmanship is mastery. Due to continuous repetition of the steps in themaking process, you will achieve your mastery. If you have the combination of skill, knowledge and the stamina to create custom work, you can call yourself a master of the craft. No wonder that her soul mission is to create space and attention for the craft of weaving, so that it can hold a safe place in our future society.