The Maker
Welsh BasketsClare Revera
14 January - 23 March 2023
Clare Revera makes traditional and non-traditional welsh baskets and other willow items inspired by the colours and materials of the landscape around her. She is passionate about working with natural, sustainable materials found in the local countryside; hazel, willow and birch in particular. She also grows her own - in her garden, on her field in Pembrokeshire and local community spaces.
Clare weaves these materials into functional, useful baskets, sculptures and items for the home and garden, using age-old traditional techniques and designs but adding her own sense of individuality in terms of the colours and decorative features. She is particularly interested in local baskets and regularly makes the round Cyntell in a variety of sizes, the lighter weight Welsh shopper, Welsh Tea Things basket and the Gower Cockle Picking Basket. She loves the fact that these baskets have been woven and used throughout time in Wales. Clare learned the skills and techniques for weaving these baskets from master craftsmen who are dedicated to passing on their skills.
Clare is a member of the Maker’s Guild in Wales and Yeoman Member of the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers. Her work is permanently exhibited at Crafts in the Bay and in 2018 she was commissioned to weave the contemporary basket to introduce the Plant Section for the new Craft Gallery at the National Museum of Wales.
Image: Cyntell trays, Clare Revera
