Can you tell us about your creative process as a duo?
Corentin: Since the start, we liked to challenge each other, the kind of "I dare you" challenge. It makes our creations evolve. We intervene in each other's work, having a second eye nourishes the process. We also work with all four hands on some pieces, which multiplies our capabilities and capacities.
Do each of you have a favourite technique?
Karen: I love working with a technique called fetching. It is a simple open weave, which implies one gesture, as a trace in the space giving movement to the willow. Corentin works mostly with spiral weaving: wall spirals and volumes. It is his meditation. He also includes a lot of wood.
© L'oseraie de l'île
How does your craft relate to the territory?
Corentin: We are bound to the territory by the willow, which we grow. There is total coherence: the farm we own was already involved in willow cultivation used for tying it to the vines. Our creative side is linked to a wider territory, to Europe. We love travelling and meeting other basket weavers.
Was cultivating willow essential for you?
Yes, we are both willow growers and craftsmen, which are two different jobs. This diversifies our activity, but also inscribes us in a committed reflection: to perpetuate the craft, we must also perpetuate the material. There is currently a willow crisis in Europe, it is not easily available.