Patrizia Sascor

Basketweaver

©Carmen Gray

©Julian Calder

©Carmen Gray

©Laura Bennetto

Allowing form to play with space

Patrizia learned to make baskets with masters in London
Willow from the Somerset Levels is her material of choice
She relies on heritage skills to make contemporary sculptural baskets

Patrizia Sascor discovered the poetry of basketweaving many years ago, at Christmas, in a charming Sicilian live nativity scene. "All the ancient crafts were represented and, in the candlelit basketry workshop, an elderly woman was gathering olive rods from the stone floor to craft them into a basket," she recounts. Patrizia has always been creative and studied photography, raku, and saggar fired ceramics in her first life. In 2013, she relocated to London as a design coordinator, and was finally able to fulfill her dream of learning basketry. Training at Citylit with masters such as Anne-Marie O'Sullivan, John Page and Polly Pollock, she took part in workshops led by renowned basketmakers who passed down the traditional techniques she relies on today. Patrizia opened her own studio in 2017, where she spends most of her time weaving with fragrant willow sourced from Somerset Levels. "I find peace in the calming, deliberate pace of this poetic craft," she says.

Interview

©Carmen Gray

Why did you to choose basketry as your craft?: Basket weaving appeared to be a logical progression in my journey, as it is closely linked to ceramics. As I enjoy travelling, I wanted to be mobile, not too structured and anchored to a place, and the fact that I can weave with just a couple of tools is definitely part of the charm of this craft.
What makes basketweaving so exciting?: Exploring form and line within minimal structures, I craft pieces that not only envelop space but also interact with light. Whether experimenting with new possibilities or adopting curved, nest-like forms, each piece exudes a distinctive energy that enhances a feeling of lightness and transparency.
What is your aim?: When I made my first object which was a rather big sculptural basket, but extremely light in appearance, I realised I wanted to go for beauty and not necessarily for functionality.
Is your craft linked to the territory?: Basketry is spread all over the world, but it is always developed around what is available locally – the indigenous trees and plants. As a consequence, all basic techniques are slightly different. In London, I mainly work with coppiced willow, expressly grown for weaving in Somerset.

Patrizia Sascor is a rising star: she began her career in 2017 and she started teaching in 2017