Alba F Castro
Basketweaver
Lugo, Spain
Cycles of nature, coils of basketry
- Alba experiments with locally-grown fibres to make sculptures and objects
- She creates her pieces using the coiled basketry technique
- Her craft has taught her to observe nature more closely
For years, Alba F Castro worked between sociology and graphic design. That journey led her to realise that traditional crafts bring together many aspects of both disciplines. “They combine design solutions with a very specific social and cultural context. A handcrafted object is not only an aesthetic or functional piece; it also speaks of a place, a community and a way of life,” she explains. “In basketry, I found a way to bring together many things that had always interested me deeply: manual work, research into traditional techniques, a connection with the local environment, memory and creativity.” Alba began her training in 2019 at the Escola Massana in Barcelona. Later, thanks to Homo Faber Fellowship 2023/24, she continued her apprenticeship in Portugal under master basketmaker Isabel Martins.
INTERVIEW
I live in a small village in the mountains of Galicia, within the O Courel Geopark, next to a willow plantation, and nature is a constant part of my creative process. Working with plant fibres means paying attention to the seasons, the lunar cycles, pruning and harvesting times. The landscape is present in everything I do.
Although I also create functional objects, I am particularly interested in the sculptural dimension of basketry and in experimenting with different fibres. Much of my work is rooted in anthropological and visual research, using old photographs, oral histories and traditional techniques as starting points.
I opened my workshop when I moved to O Courel around 2023. It happened very naturally, as a neighbour offered me the use of his willow plantation shortly after I arrived. It was also closely connected to a personal decision to pursue a calmer life, more deeply rooted in the rural environment.
The Homo Faber Fellowship was probably one of the most important moments in my career. It allowed me to understand craftsmanship both from a local, rural perspective and within the wider international landscape of contemporary craft. It also gave me the confidence to begin developing my own visual language.
Alba F Castro
Basketweaver
Lugo, Spain
ADDRESS
Address upon request, Lugo, Spain
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
PHONE
+34 639650871
LANGUAGES
Spanish, English
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