HOMO FABER FELLOWSHIP
Silvia Caballero & María Vidagañ
©Balikypopoy Espart
Silvia Caballero & María Vidagañ
©Vera de Arriba
Silvia Caballero & María Vidagañ
©Balikypopoy Espart
Silvia Caballero & María Vidagañ
©Balikypopoy Espart
Silvia Caballero & María Vidagañ
©Balikypopoy Espart
Silvia Caballero & María Vidagañ
©Balikypopoy Espart

Silvia Caballero & María Vidagañ

Basket weaving

Casinos, Spain

Art emerging from nature

  • Silvia and María studied art and opened their workshop in 2011
  • They learned their craft from María’s grandfather
  • They work with a local material, esparto grass

A bowl was the first object that Silvia and María brought to life using esparto grass, a material that belongs to their Mediterranean culture and landscape. Esparto grass may at first seem difficult to work with, but the pair discovered that it was possible to use it to create everyday objects, and that the possibilities were infinite. Specialised in braiding and sewing the material, all their pieces stand out for their delicacy. Inspiration is everywhere for Silvia and María: of course in the landscape, but also in ancient pieces they discover in museums. “We feel that we are extending the life of a traditional technique by adapting it to our contemporary way of creation,” they explain.

Silvia Caballero & María Vidagañ are master artisans: they began their career in 2011 and they started teaching in 2015

Discover their work

Cabàs PetitCestoKántharos. Alusiones al cántaro griegoTorusHuevera

INTERVIEW

María’s grandfather taught us the traditional technique of his family. We were passionate about working with such a fragile material, which comes from a plant, and then building something solid. Our first step was braiding it and we immediately felt that it was our best means of expression.

Absolutely. It comes from nature and could return to it once used, without damaging it. Esparto grass belongs to the Mediterranean world, to our landscape and to our culture. It’s a sustainable material with a long life.

It needs a lot of patience, because production is very slow, totally different from today's way of life. These days everything, in life and in work, demands speed. But we think that a new time will come.

Time is crucial, and the fact that every piece is different. Time is precisely what we like the most in our profession: time for every piece to come to life, to evolve from one day to another.

Silvia Caballero & María Vidagañ

Basketweaver

Casinos, Spain

ADDRESS

Calle Sta. Ana 1, 46171, Casinos, Spain

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AVAILABILITY

By appointment only

PHONE

+34 687507221

LANGUAGES

Spanish, French, English, Greek, Catalan