Diana Stegmann is a virtuoso exponent of the art of willow weaving, who combines the craft she learned at the State College of Basket Weaving in Lichtenfels with a profound understanding of form and consistently takes it to a new level. “The notion of a 'basket' points too specifically to the object's use – for me, it is, first and foremost, about the material that I am working with - the willow.” Ms. Stegmann concentrates on willow as her chosen material, because, traditionally, it occurs naturally in Europe and has been worked in Europe, and – in spite of an extraordinary range of colours in her creations – she uses it only in its untreated state.

In terms of technique too, Diana Stegmann distances herself radically from basket weaving.  She uses mainly the tips of the willow and, not, as is normally the case, the longer rods. In a piece of wickerwork with vertical stakes, she weaves relatively short – and hence, difficult to anchor – willow tips on the horizontal. They stick out from the body of the piece, “bring the inner form to the outside” and represent, for Stegmann, “weaving motion made visible”. The blackened ends of the tips enhance still further the effect of the internal form that has been brought to the exterior.
“There is something unwieldy about my pieces in their way, something controversial.” Each side appears different; with some pieces it is only from above that the real shape is recognisable.

Diana Stegmann was awarded with first place in the Hessian State Award for German Arts & Crafts and the members of the jury justified their decision:  “Ms. Stegmann has a masterly understanding of how to use her craftsmanship, combined with her creative eye for design in the interplay between the weaving and the material. Each one of her pieces manifests an astonishing degree of artistry and a highly sophisticated sense of the material's aesthetic. The overall form of the woven object flows organically, uniting in an extraordinary and unusual way the opposing qualities of a soft woven shape and a prickly outer surface.” (press text Messe Frankfurt)

This award was reason enough to invite Diana Stegmann as the only German exhibitor for the craft2eu "Purpur Parcours" at GRASSIMESSE 2015 in Leipzig. In the UK artistic willow weaving is recognised as applied art with highest reputation and  collectors are paying fortunes for masterpieces! craft2eu wants to give opportunity to German collectors ...