MONTSE ROA

Montse Roa

Barcelona, SPAIN

“Thinking with hands.”

Montse Roa is a product designer (ELISAVA, Barcelona) and film art director (ESCAC, Barcelona). In 2015, she leaves her hometown, Barcelona, and goes to live in the countryside, in the middle of the Ebro Delta rice fields, and it is at that moment that she discovers basketry: creativity, calm, precision, and connection with nature.

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Value in the details

Handcrafted Bags: The Intricate Process of Montse's Willow Creations

The pieces that Montse makes are completely handmade, it is a slow and laborious process.
First, the most suitable willows are chosen to make the piece and submerged in water for 15 days so that they acquire the ideal elasticity and flexibility to be braided.
Next, the structural parts of the pieces are made, the main nerves with the help of some wooden molds and they are left to dry for about 10 days. With the help of a central axis, the different structures and nerves are joined and you can start weaving the piece with finer willows, normally using the Zig-zag technique.
This technique is inspired by the traditional rib technique that was used to make recollection baskets. But in this case, it gives rise to bags for contemporary use.