Galway basket-maker turns his talent into a higher art form

Baskets and sculptures made of willow and ash as well as a few man-made nests are a feast for the eye in an exhibition by basket maker, Joe Hogan.

Though Joe, a native of East Galway, has been living in Loch na Fooey in Connemara since 1978 and has exhibited worldwide, this is the first time his work has been formally shown in Clifden during the town’s Arts Festival.

Joe’s love of Irish led him to Connemara, where he settled and started making baskets — in the beginning his work was a bit more practical as there was local demand for creels, baskets used on donkeys for bringing home some turf.

However, despite having learned his craft in Cork, he admits he didn’t know how to make a creel but was shown by a local man.

Joe, having a love of the traditional craft of basket making was a fast learner and indeed later would often finish off the square hardy homemade baskets for his neighbours as he had a neat way of putting the border on them.

He is really self-taught. An apprenticeship in Cork fell through but he got to work with local craftsmen who showed him their skills.

He made creels for about twenty years before he decided to concentrate on the more artistic side of basketmaking.

It is the fruit of that labour of love made in a workshop near his home that has been exhibited in Paris, London, the US, Japan as well as in many Irish venues.

Yet he hasn’t travelled the world with his exhibitions — apart from Paris and London. In fact he didn’t even attend the opening of the Clifden exhibition in the Station House as he has greatly curtailed his outings during the Pandemic.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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