Iany Gayo & Lucrezia Papillo

Macheia

Basketweaver

©OBDA

©Macheia

The uniting force of bunho

Iany and Lucrezia discovered basketry at a summer school in Lisbon
They learnt the ancestral craft of bunho from one of the few remaining master artisans
Their contemporary natural fibre pieces aim to keep Portuguese basketry alive

Iany Gayo and Lucrezia Papillo met at a basketry summer school organised by the Portuguese Ministry of Culture and Michelangelo Foundation. One was an architect and the other a product designer, and they had no idea of the uniting force basketry would have or that it would change their lives. “We fell in love with Manuel Ferreira’s bunho technique and found each other in that joint appreciation.” Discovering that Manuel is one of the few remaining artisans who master bunho using locally-grown bulrush, the young duo decided to take destiny into their hands and continue learning with their master. In 2021 they opened their own workshop with the vision of applying ancestral basketry to contemporary architectural and design spheres, featuring natural fibres connected to a place, to nature and to our time.

Interview

©Macheia

©Macheia

How do you bring innovation to the bunho basketry technique?: The bunho technique is currently under extinction. To keep it alive, a big part of what we do is to innovate through researching ancient practices, working with plants such as bulrush and then revealing the hidden stories of natural fibres through our pieces.
Why is taking part in the harvesting process so important to you?: It has taught us to align our work with nature’s times and processes. If we are experiencing a drought we need to worry about the integrity of the raw material and its availability. It triggers a wider awareness and connection to the ecosystems of our daily resources.
Could you describe your participation at Homo Faber Event 2022?: We could not believe it when we received the invitation. Our master Manuel Ferreira had presented bunho at Homo Faber 2018. It was a privilege for us to show the continuity of this ancestral technique in such a prestigious setting for fine craftsmanship.
What was the first object you made?: The Weave it Yourself Kit was created for people to connect with an ancient craft technique by producing a natural fibre cover to wrap around an existing bottle. We felt strongly about getting people involved in the conversation around preservation and revival of this craft.

Iany Gayo & Lucrezia Papillo are rising stars: they began their career in 2020