‘From the first time I made a basket I was hooked! The smell, the feel of the willow and the pattern and repetitive strokes just came naturally to me. The possibilities are endless.’ Helen Munday
Helen Munday, although born in London, grew up in the Sussex countryside, before choosing art college at the age of sixteen. Seeking a sense of community and freedom, she moved ‘on the road’ in 1996 and spent twenty years travelling, some of it with horse and wagon, raising her young family.
Taking up basket making came as a natural choice as hedgerow materials were readily available and you don’t need lots of expensive tools. Continuing living her alternative, traveller lifestyle in her self-converted truck in rural Herefordshire, Helen’s work is often influenced by her anarcho-socialist views. Learning traditional basketry skills from accomplished makers such as Jenny Pearce and Joe Hogan, Helen gained the knowledge and proficiency that enabled her to turn her passion into a business.
Returning to education in 2019 Helen studied Contemporary Design Crafts at Hereford College of Art. This allowed her to explore and experiment with her practice and create objects with a narrative behind them.