Discover the art of fiber basketry at the Autour de L’Osier Art Centre

An encounter with M Hélène Métézeau, Master Craftswoman.

In the main street of Villaines-les-Rochers, you can’t fail to notice the lovely garden, inviting you to step inside M Hélène’s workshop. A few wicker geese are there to welcome you. Let’s go in!

An all-round visit

The guided tours of the Autour de l’Osier Art Centre begin every day at 11 am and 3 pm, first with an introduction to the willow plantation and the art of growing osier, and particular why fiber basketry developed in Villaines-les-Rochers. You then go to the “plaiting to weaving” gallery, the materials library and the wicker painting gallery, before finally arriving in the activities rooms and M Hélène Métézeau’s workshop store.

You will know everything about the craft before you leave, but most of all you will have a new view of fiber basketry, with its many and varied approaches, resulting from a host of collaborations especially with art and design students. Come and experience a rare and inspirational immersion in living heritage!

Practical information: tours and courses can be booked directly online at https://lespaniersdhelene.com.

Autour de L'Osier Art Centre

Painting with a withy

Wickerwork decorations

M Hélène Métézeau workshops

The geese

The art centre window

Workshops to pass on skills

Although M Hélène Métézeau has eight generations of wickerwork craftsmen behind her, she is above all a “Maître Artisan d’Art” (Master Craftswoman), a therapeutic educator and art-therapist who graduated from the Tours University of Medicine. So it is quite natural for her to pass on her precious skills to a range of different visitors:

adults or families for 1 hour, along with the tour, or for a themed day or half-day (nesting box, apple basket, painting with a withy, etc.)
school groups and activity centres for the day or discovery classes for several days (in partnership with the Balzac Museum or the Château of Azay-le-Rideau)
groups with sensory disabilities
future professionals.

Fiber basketry worhshop

The fiber basketry object shop

Looking around you, you will soon see that wickerwork can give rise to a whole host of creations in different shapes and sizes. M Hélène’s baskets have a wide range of uses – for your keys (sundries basket for the hall), for fruits (in the kitchen), for magazines (in the living room), for household linen (in the laundry room) or paper lanterns (in the garden).

There are also decorations, from stars for Christmas to a little bird on a branch, via light fittings and real woven pictures. Tradition and modern design are perfectly combined – it will be very tempting to take home a little souvenir from Touraine! An artistic spirit, of course, lies behind these unique and authentic pieces. They also bears witness to remarkable craftsmanship.