Artist’s Bio

Kazuyo's beautiful kelp baskets are strong and durable and can be used for a variety of purposes, i.e. bread or fruit baskets. They are actually being used in restaurants.

The kelp is collected on the beaches of Vancouver Island. The colours can vary from black to brown to tan, even almost white depending on the bleaching effects of the sun.

The kelp is soaked to make it flexible enough for weaving then allowed to dry. Sometimes a form is used to shape the basket but often it is allowed to find its own shape. When dry, the basket is oiled to bring out the natural colours and preserve it against moisture.

Kazuyo was born in Japan and came to Canada in 1994. Her husband introduced her to weaving with kelp. Inspired by the BC environment she combined these natural materials with Japanese aesthetics to create her baskets. She comments "I like that nature gives form to my work".

Your basket will last for a long time, however water is its only enemy, so please keep it dry.