Nestled on the shores of Lough Na Fooey in County Galway, Joe Hogan has been intertwining tradition and innovation for over four decades. Hogan has dedicated his life to the ancient craft of basketry, cultivating his own willow and embracing the rural lifestyle that the art so harmoniously complements. Initially focused on creating functional baskets, an innate urge propelled Hogan into the realm of artistic expression. Characteristic of his work is the use of wooden fragments, which he integrates into his weavings. He often uses driftwood and unusual tree shapes, but also thousands of years old bog wood from his surroundings. His baskets are narrative structures, woven from the fibres of nature and the threads of time.
Hogan is widely considered to be one of the pre-eminent Irish craftspeople of his generation and his work has been exhibited nationally and internationally for decades. In 2021 he was recognised by President Michael D. Higgins with a 'Lifetime Achievement Award' for his contribution to Irish craft. He is also a leading figure in the field of international contemporary craft and has been a finalist in both the Loewe International Craft Prize and the European Prize for Applied Arts.
He is also the author of 'Basketmaking in Ireland', published by Wordwell Books (2001), which is an important historical and sociological record of traditional basketmaking in Ireland, and which captures important details on stylistic and regional variations, and is a significant contribution to the record of Irish material culture. He is also the author of two self-published books ('Bare Branches Blue Black Sky, and Learning From The Earth) that record and expand upon his individual artistic practice, the latter being significant for its commitment to promoting a creative practice that exists in harmony with the natural world and which is environmentally sustainable. His own practice is exemplary in this regard as its foundational material, willow, is grown naturally and is carbon neutral, while additional materials used are of a 'found' nature and the making process is largely by hand.