An Encounter with Jeanny and Jefke from Belgium (Part 1)　出逢い / ベルギーより・ジェニー、ジェフカさん （前編）

At our physical shop, we are currently holding the “The One Table” special exhibition—
Willow and Hazel Baskets from Germany and Belgium.

As part of this exhibition,
we are presenting and offering for sale hazel and willow baskets made by the German maker Benjamin,
as well as willow baskets created by the Belgian mother-and-child duo, Jeanny and Jefke.

For both makers, this marks their first presentation in Japan.
We would be honored if you could take this opportunity to see their work in person.

In this journal, we would like to look back on our encounter
with Jeanny and Jefke, a mother-and-child duo of basket makers from Belgium.

We first met Jeanny and Jefke, the mother-and-child duo from Belgium,
at the World Wicker and Weaving Festival held in Poznań, Poland, in August 2023—
the same event where we met Benjamin from Germany.

On the first day, as we arrived at the venue,
participants from many countries had already completed registration
and were gradually gathering for the opening ceremony.

What immediately caught our eye were the woven hats worn by participants and staff.
Straw, cattail, willow—each made from different materials,
everyone wearing a hat of their own choosing.
The sense of anticipation for the basket festival about to begin quietly grew.

Among them, a few hats stood out as especially beautiful.

Their shapes were so refined, with a quiet sheen and a wonderful presence.
Drawn to them, we couldn’t help but strike up a conversation
and ask to take a photograph—this is the image that follows.

At that moment, we didn’t yet know their names, where they were from, or even that they were parent and child, but despite our sudden approach, they kindly welcomed us.

The man’s slightly awkward expression and the woman’s relaxed, gentle smile left a strong impression.

That evening, after the opening ceremony, we did not see them at the welcoming gathering
and had no chance to speak with them.
Still, we found ourselves wondering who they were,
and who had made those beautiful hats.

Looking forward to meeting them again during the competition itself,
we welcomed the next day.

Then, the next morning, as I entered the venue,
I immediately heard a rhythmic “shh, shh” sound.

It was still early in the day.
The venue was spacious yet quiet,
and the clear sound carried across the room,
catching my attention right away.

Wondering who was making such a satisfying rhythm,
I looked around and saw someone swinging his arms again and again
with remarkable speed and energy.

As I drew closer, I saw a young man working intently,
pulling strips of willow through a blade
to prepare material for basket making.

That young man was Jefke,
one of the two people whose photograph I had taken the day before.

With a serious expression that made him seem like a different person from the day before,
when he had been wearing that hat,
I watched him pass each slender strip of split willow through his tool,
moving swiftly and with a steady rhythm.

It was more than simply preparing materials.
Every movement was precise, without waste,
and the fluid motion of his body was so vivid
that everyone watching around him found themselves stopping to look.

This is a short moment from his material preparation at the venue.

Standing before him as he continued to prepare splints with such intensity and momentum,
I remember clearly how I found myself hesitating to ask him any questions.

  • Although the tools differ in shape and type from those used in Japanese bamboo craft, the work itself felt very familiar to me. This is the process of gradually thinning strips of willow, using an angled blade to make the splints thinner step by step.
  • This tool is used to even out the width of the splints after their thickness has been adjusted. The splints are passed step by step through blades set at multiple widths, gradually refining them to a uniform size.
  • He likely understood well the balance between the competition rule of finishing within two days and the amount of time required to make the basket he wanted. That is probably why he began working at full throttle from the very first morning.
  • Beside him was a lidded basket holding small tools used for detailed work. (The same type of basket is also on display and available for purchase in this special exhibition.)

Feeling slightly intimidated by Jefke’s intensity,
I gathered my courage and spoke to the woman who was about to begin basket making beside him.
She was Jeanny, and Jefke turned out to be her son.

The two people whose hats had been so striking the day before—
the ones I had approached and asked to photograph—
were none other than Jeanny and Jefke, the mother-and-child duo from Belgium.

I have visited the basket weaving festival in Poland three times so far,
but this was the first time I had ever seen a parent and child participating together as weavers.

Even as I spoke with Jeanny about these things,
Jefke continued working at remarkable speed,
never stopping his hands as he focused intently on preparing the splints.

  • At this competition, he was making finely woven baskets using willow splints that had been dyed black.

In contrast to Jefke’s speed, the way Jeanny worked felt open and unhurried.
I sensed that she was weaving each strand of the basket carefully and with steady attention.

Please take a moment to watch Jeanny at work during the competition as well.

During the competition, both of them were deeply focused on their work,
and I felt it would be wrong to interrupt them.
Although I wasn’t able to spend much time talking with them,
I found myself returning again and again to watch them work.

In particular, as I watched what Jefke was making,
I felt a strong connection to Japanese bamboo craft.
Willow baskets are common across many parts of Europe,
and there are countless traditional forms,
but seeing someone create such finely woven baskets with such speed
left a deep impression on me—one I still remember clearly.

At the 2023 competition,
Jefke was the only participant making this kind of delicate basket using willow.

On the third day, once each participant had finished their work
and the completed pieces were all brought together.

This was the final day of the competition.
After the judges had completed their evaluation of the baskets,
the results were announced at the award ceremony.

There, Jefke was awarded the Grand Prix,
the highest honor among all participants.
It was a moment in which his weaving was recognized as the finest in the world.

At the ceremony, the head judge—seen in the foreground of the photograph and himself a Polish basket maker—
offered his comments.
He explained that this year’s decision for the Grand Prix
was made by a unanimous vote of all the judges.

It was also the youngest Grand Prix award in the history of the competition,
as Jefke was just twenty years old at the time.

Yet age felt beside the point.
I could only marvel at the sheer level of his outstanding skill.

A basket in the same size as the one made at the World Wicker and Weaving Festival, with a slightly different lid shape. The white version made to the same specifications as the competition piece was also presented in this special exhibition (now sold out).
  • The moment Jefke’s name was announced as the Grand Prix winner. With a look of surprise, he made his way to the stage amid loud applause.
  • His mother, Jeanny, joined him on the stage for the award ceremony.
  • Jefke returning to his seat after the ceremony. The braided hair seen from behind looks calm, dignified, and beautiful.

Jeanny also looked genuinely happy as she applauded Jefke.

As his name was called for the Grand Prix,
the surprise and joy on Jefke’s face felt very different from the intense expression he wore while working.
It seemed to me that he had returned to the slightly youthful look he had when I first photographed him on the opening day.

The baskets they make span a wide range of forms and styles.

On this occasion as well,
I purchased several baskets from among their work.

Later, after I had returned to Japan and reached out to place an order,
Jeanny wrote back saying,
“It is an honor for us to be able to send our baskets to Japan for the first time,”
and she shared her joy with us.

She also added a note about Jefke:

“Since winning the competition in Poland,
Jefke has been walking around every day with a big smile on his face!”

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“The One Table” Special Exhibition
— Willow and Hazel Baskets from Germany and Belgium —

January 2025
9 (Thu), 10 (Fri), 11 (Sat), 12 (Sun), 13 (Mon, public holiday)
16 (Thu), 17 (Fri), 18 (Sat)

▽▽▽

Our physical shop is a small house located in Minami-Senju, Tokyo,
with a sales space of approximately 20 square meters.

At the center of the space sits a generously sized table that seems to occupy the room itself.
On this table, we welcome you with baskets made from willow and hazel.

The special exhibition is held on the central table.

The surrounding shelves display our regular collection as usual.
Alongside restocked items, we will also be introducing newly arrived pieces.

Please enjoy these as well.

We look forward to welcoming you at the shop.