Basket Case: Traditional meets contemporary is an exclusive exhibition of innovative basket designs from Southern African weavers. The exhibition which is a collaborative affair between Alliance Francaise, National Gallery of Zimbabwe and The New Basket Workshop was sponsored by Total, Culture Fund, AGS Frasers and Old Mutual. The baskets to be put on show have been devised from traditional basket weaving techniques that have been engaged to create modern contemporary pieces by rural women. The New Basket Workshop (TNBW) is a registered company which seeks to improve the livelihood of rural women in Southern Africa involved in basket producing. Having exhibited their baskets at the Bulawayo Art Gallery last year TNBW thereafter partnered with Binga Craft Centre, Lupane Women’s Centre and Bulawayo Home Industries in a series of design- led workshops to produce a range of new and innovative items.

Basket Case seeks to promote a unique Zimbabwean art form that merges traditional practices with modern contemporary style and technique. The initiative behind the exhibition also creates a viable and sustainable market and will subsequently directly benefit the local communities and enhance developmental skills in women. The innovative contemporary baskets are products for home décor and have introduced new standards of design. Basket weaving is a universal craft and one of the most ancient creations. In early years, the various basket sizes, shapes and weaves were determined largely by the uses for which they were required such as winnowing, storing and carrying goods. Basket weavers at that time were mostly women who possessed great patience, skill and knowledge of techniques. Basket makers made baskets by hand using different materials such as grass, roots and cane, but today wastes, recycled materials and easily renewable materials have been added to the long list hence creating a larger market for them.

Such innovative designs from basket weavers in Southern Africa seek to empower women through self employment and enhancing their livelihood. The skillfulness behind intertwining and interlacing of baskets has seen them crossing over from being recognized as a craft and entering the realm of art. Baskets have achieved a sculptural element that possesses an incredible level of beauty that can now stand alone as art pieces and not just as functional items. They are not just mere adaptations of existing utilitarian utensils but are items which are capable of standing on their own in terms of contemporary design and artistic merit. The exhibition opens on the 24th of September to the 10th of October. The baskets will be on sale from the day of opening.