Emma Purcell

Emma has been making baskets for over a decade, having first trained as a Fine Artist. She has worked under the watchful eyes of master basketmakers Mary Butcher and Adrian Charlton among others and has received funding from the Heritage Crafts Association. She focuses on traditional English techniques while considering contemporary aesthetics.

Describe your approach to teaching. 

I want students to enjoy their time in the workshop, encouraging careful observation, entering into the flow of making and attaining a deeper understanding of the material’s possibilities and limitations. 

What inspires your own work? 

The alchemical transformation of a ‘bunch of sticks’ into a functional object that will give joy for years to come. Working with nature in a low-impact way.
 

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