Annemarie O’Sullivan

Annemarie O’Sullivan is a master basket weaver, gathering materials from the land. The artisan is passionate about seeing the making process through from source to the finished piece, thus she grows her own varieties of willow near her home in Sussex and from these weaves all types of objects. Some are functional, others more sculptural, such as the recent body of work for the brand Hauser & Wirth. Her work draws on the sturdiness of agricultural baskets, the curves of the landscape and deep respect for ancient crafts. Annemarie uses ancient weaving and binding techniques to create beautifully crafted works, which are steeped in history and landscape.

Swimming underwater was Annemarie O’Sullivan’s childhood obsession, and when she made her first basket at the age of 30, she experienced a familiar sensation. “The movements had the same feeling of fluidity, repetition, building of momentum, intensity and freedom as swimming underwater gave me.” That was on a one-day course, but so captivated was she by the experience that before long she enrolled on a five-year, part-time course at City Lit in London, where she is now the lead willow tutor.

Masterful Gestures Exhibition