Weaving her own learning journey
- Jana likes to experiment with shapes
- She collects and picks most of the fibres she weaves
- She likes to meet people who master the craft and learn from them
Jana Úbeda’s academic education is a degree in fine arts, with a focus on sculpture and painting. However, when she came across basket weaving, she fell in love with the craft. A few courses and self-training followed, until 2014, when she launched into basket weaving as her full-time activity. Cesteando – the name of her workshop – means “basketing”, and in her logo she uses the 'o' to depict a basket. Based in the Valladolid area, Jana enjoys handpicking her own raw materials, wicker and bulrush, according to the cycle of nature. In recent years she has had the chance to relocate for brief stints around Spain and in each place Jana has looked for people who master the craft. She works alongside them, keen to learn and improve her skills.
Interview
- What makes you happy in your work?
- I enjoy the different steps, searching and harvesting fibres, then soaking and drying them. Once the raw material is suitable I do what I like most: working with my hands. For me creating and making something from scratch into a utilitarian or artistic piece is a kind of magic.
- In which way do you follow tradition in what you do?
- What really matters to me is to learn from people who make things, who may not necessarily be artisans. In recent years I have made my research and have met farmers and builders who know how to use fibres and weave thanks to skills that have been handed down for generations.
- What have you learned from them?
- These encounters have help me strengthen my skills and give me tools to reinterpret what I have learned from them, translating it into my own style. I have been lucky enough to meet wonderful elderly gentlemen, patient and kind, willing to share their knowledge.
- What inspires you?
- As I use natural fibres I feel deeply connected with nature and the soil. Animals and landscapes inspire me most. I also find extremely inspiring and rewarding when an idea comes to life as I make the piece, allowing me to experience the transformation of the raw material into an object.
Jana Úbeda is a master artisan: she began her career in 2014 and she started teaching in 2016
Where
Jana Úbeda
