Weaved baskets

Our aim is to create products that are environmentally friendly and showcase cultural practices. These organic baskets promote national development highlighting our sustainable approach to manufacturing.

Our team is proud to partner with Roma communities to promote the traditional weaving of baskets. By engaging with these communities, we are able to preserve cultural traditions while also promoting national development.

Our baskets are created using sustainable materials and practices that support traditions, highlighting a sustainable approach to manufacturing. Through this project, we aim to empower Roma communities and promote their valuable contributions to our society.

Join us in celebrating their rich cultural heritage while also supporting sustainable and ethical practices in manufacturing.

Displaced but connected: the craftmanship that keeps a tradition alive

Nikolaos, born and raised on Lesvos island; a third generation craftsman in weaved baskets.

His craftsmanship is characterized by discipline and meticulous skill, well-rooted in his ancestral knowledge. Resident in Papados, Lesvos he is a victim of the displaced local population that had to flee their home. Nikolaos wanders the streets, weaving baskets to make ends-meat.

The baskets are more than mere artefacts. They are a connection to his ancestry, his culture and the environment. Each bamboo and wicker stick are hand-picked from the island. These are then shaped and sharpened to make the thin forms that can bend and adapt to the desired shape. The raw material is then soaked in water to become malleable and start the weaving process.

Unfortunately, as his lineage ends with him, there aren’t any younger generations to teach and keep this tradition alive. At Human Ark, we support Nikolaos and promote sustainable and environmentally friendly practices that can be embedded within the labor market. Not only is this expertise valuable to maintain a skill that will vanish but also an opportunity for a better quality of life.