The Hunterdon Museum of Art will be exhibiting 27 pieces of my work, many created in 2007, in an exhibition, “Nancy Moore Bess: extraordinary baskets” from January 13 to March 30, 2008.

Shown at top left: "Pebble Jar from Japan"; shown at bottom left: "Red Tea Jar in A Box".

Curator, Hildreth York, was responsible for the selection of work to be included and worked with Ingrid Renard on the exquisite installation. With a grant from The Coby Foundation, the Museum produced a charming exhibition catalogue. After the exhibition closes, some of the work will be available through browngrotta arts.

A few years ago, I took a big leap and started a new series of forms that were based not upon volume, but upon mass. Carving industrial foam and covering it with acrylic gesso offered me an entirely new approach for my twined sculptures. Both "Red Guardian" (top left) and "Animistic Spirit: The Supernatural in Japan" (bottom left) are available through browngrotta arts.

Many of us working in the area of "sculptural basketry" work in series, one piece inspiring the next. Some of my series were inspired by a great purchase of handmade papers in India. Some of my series were developed to support the theme of an invitational exhibition… Japanese influences, communication, censorship. However, some of my favorite work is the direct result of time in Japan. Both "Pebbles in a Stream" (top left) and "At Water's Edge" (bottom left) are my most recent, personal interpretation of the jakago/snake baskets seen in Asia. In Japan, miniature versions hold five tiny pebbles and are used to support chopsticks at the dinner table. The largest versions are constructed with wide bands of bamboo binding large stones at the edge of a river or lake to prevent soil erosion. I found the entire range of these constructions inspirational and a number of baskets have resulted. These two recent pieces are available through browngrotta arts.