Joe Hogan has been making baskets at Loch na Fooey since 1978 and in that time has earned a reputation for making strong, durable baskets of the highest quality. The colours in these award winning baskets are those of the natural willows which are grown at Loch na Fooey.
Joe also makes indigenous Irish baskets such as the creel. These are available to order and are described in his book, Basketmaking in Ireland, published by Wordwell in 2001.
Featured: Indigenous Baskets project
Over the last two years I have been involved in a project to document the making of some of the most important of the indigenous baskets of Ireland. The idea for the project came from Pat Reid of Wicklow Willow and it was funded by the Heritage Council of Ireland. Photographer, Tristian Hutchinson filmed the making of baskets and in 2024 the baskets recorded included creels (some demonstrated by Ciaran Hogan), willow lobster pots and skibs. The baskets recorded in 2025 include a sciathog/ potato basket and a heather lobster pot. Click here for link
Featured: Lifetime Achievement Award
President of Ireland / Uachtarán na hÉireann Michael D. Higgins with Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Joe Hogan, at the opening of the Irish Craft Heroes information trail at Dublin Castle.
I have been making nests now since about 2012 but in the last year I have tried to expand the size to include nests of larger birds and this winter of 2020/2021 I made a few really large nests over one meter wide of a size that an eagle might make. The aim has not been to make copies of the nests of various species of birds but rather to make nest-like objects which prompt the feeling that we are looking at a bird's nest and thus evoke some of the feelings of joy and wonder which might accompany the finding of nests in the wild. The nests have an artlessness to them as I do not want it to be obvious that they have been made by a person. I have now built up a sizeable collection of about 80 nests which celebrates the lives of birds and also explores what it it means to be “at home in the world” and I would hope to exhibit them in the next year or two.
Artistic Baskets
Traditional Baskets
Featured: Loewe Project
Joe was commissioned by Loewe to make several pods which were displayed at their Spring/ Summer 2019 fashion show held at UNESCO building, Paris in late September 2018. The commission consisted of 6 extra large pods, all greater than 1 meter in diameter and about 20 smaller sized pods.
See more here.
Exhibitions
Books
Bare Branches Blue Black Sky Book.
Learning From The Earth Book.
Basketmaking In Ireland Book
Collaborations & Projects
Specially commissioned pods for Loewe Fashion Show, Spring /Summer 2019.
Twig hat collaboration with Joanne Hynes. London Fashion Week 2011.