From 31 August to 11 September 2026, designer, researcher and educator Andrea Bandoni took part in the Accelerator4Crafts Residency Programme hosted by Bokrijk in Belgium.
During the two-week residency, she explored the relationship between traditional basketry, local materials and contemporary design, working alongside craftsperson Lydia Banks to investigate the possibilities of willow weaving.
Exploring traditional knowledge and material experimentation
Andrea's practice brings together design, ecology, traditional knowledge and material experimentation. Her work investigates how contemporary design can learn from living systems and the knowledge embedded in traditional craft practices.
At Bokrijk, she focused on willow as a locally grown material, exploring its characteristics and the processes involved in its cultivation, harvesting, preparation and use.
The residency offered an opportunity to learn directly from Lydia Banks, who shared her expertise in growing, harvesting, preparing and weaving willow, as well as her understanding of the material and its traditional techniques.
Learning through observation and making
Working alongside Lydia, Andrea explored the flexibility, strength, structural possibilities and limitations of willow.
Their collaboration combined observation, hands-on experimentation and knowledge exchange, allowing traditional weaving techniques to inform a contemporary design process.
The experience also highlighted the importance of working with the natural rhythms of materials and understanding how their properties and timing influence design decisions.
Willow Eye: connecting basketry and contemporary design
One of the main outcomes of the residency was Willow Eye, a wall-mounted lamp that reinterprets the language of traditional basketry through an oval woven form.
The project highlights the structure of the weave and the possibilities and limitations of willow as a material, bringing traditional craftsmanship into dialogue with contemporary design.
Developed through experimentation and collaboration, Willow Eye illustrates how traditional craft knowledge can inform new approaches to design and material exploration.
Outcomes and future directions
The residency provided Andrea with new perspectives on the relationship between craft, design and biodiversity, highlighting the value of direct knowledge exchange between designers and craftspeople.
Andrea hopes to continue developing Willow Eye and explore further collaborations with Bokrijk around craft practices, biodiversity, biomaterials, material experimentation and design education.
The experience also opened possibilities for connecting traditional craftsmanship with contemporary research and creative practices.
