Nature in palm-sized baskets

Joanne makes baskets with Japanese tatami paper and natural yarns
She is inspired by her impressions and memories of landscapes
Her work aims to celebrate the four cross quarter festivals of the Celtic year

After a career in textile design, Joanne Lamb decided she wanted to focus on handcrafted objects, in particular, on delicate baskets. An Irish artist now based in London, Joanne graduated in woven textile at Belfast School of Art and got a master's degree in textiles and fine art at London’s Royal College of Art. “My true awakening came at college, the first time I sat at a loom”, she says. "Weaving claimed my heart." The rhythm of planning, threading and the endless possibility to explore and improvise felt like a language she was meant to speak. Captivated by the challenge of 3D forms and trusting her intuition, Joanne began to shape a personal path in basketry, integrating woven elements into sculptural forms. Today, she makes structures from tatami paper yarn, shaped over a mould and interlaced with natural yarns.

Joanne Lamb is a rising star: she began her career in 2023

Discover her work

Bealtaine vessel

Samhain vessel

Imbolc vessel

INTERVIEW

I come from Belfast, a place once alive with the hum of linen mills, where textiles were woven into the very fabric of the city’s identity. Though this history was a quiet backdrop to my childhood, it influenced me deeply. After graduating, I worked at one of the city's last remaining linen mills until its closure in 2009. This was a moment that deepened my connection to this legacy.

My making process draws on simple, intuitive and often domestic textile techniques, including random weaving, knotting, wrapping, twining and darning. This brings softness and spontaneity to the final forms.

At the heart of my current work is a desire to mark and celebrate the four cross quarter festivals of the Celtic year: Imbolc, Bealtaine, Lúnasa and Samhain. These festivals, unique to Irish, Scottish and Manx culture, were moments when communities paused to honour the gifts of each season, from the first signs of spring to the final harvest before winter.

I am drawn to yarns like wool, mohair and silk for their warmth, texture and tactility. Wool, in particular, feels rooted in the land, and I often seek out materials that are not typically used in handmade baskets, allowing for unexpected combinations and subtle, expressive results.