José
In the most earnest of ways, José’s dedication to craft is remarkable in the way that it showcases his meticulous approach to form. For over 25 years, he has worked with the same materials and same process, it is as much ritual as it is expression. Imbued within the way he weaves copper into ornate baskets of varying color fields, there is a stoic approach between the man and his material that is a beautiful invitation back to simplicity and also to the principle of making. Raised on a farm in Foresta Azul (blue forest) of Bahia, he rode horses from the young age of 6 and had room to explore and imagine. This landscape he grew up in, afforded him the space to dream and see the word in an entirely different way.
While working as a security guard at an airport boredom propelled him to mend and weave a pile of discarded cables. He soon took this method and started making copper baskets for his community before he was approached with the opportunity to receive a license to work from his previous commander. She was struck by the beauty and meticulous skill he possessed, granting him the ability to work in this way. His wire baskets were admired by friends and once he was fired he knew this was his chance to sell his work. What began as an antidote to loneliness became the impetus towards creating and dreaming.
He continues to create today baskets of all colors and shapes with the same dedicated approach and patience. They are compact textured objects filled with the wonderment of process from his own hands. Dedicated to the ritual and process of his practice he works 13 hour days, completing each piece in about three days. While his smaller pieces take around 8 hours, this gesture and articulation is a celebration of time, the way in which at 84 years young he continues to hold onto what has shaped his craft and share it, is a resilience of both artistry and dexterity.
