Lee Dalby first became interested in and began making baskets in 1986 and has continued to develop his interest since then.

The framed willow baskets that form part of Lee's work have evolved from skills he learnt in the late 1980's from a Brittany gypsy family that had been practicing the art for generations. The SE18 basket below is an example of such work and is named after the area of London where Lee lives and works. Not only does Lee prepare the willow but it is also planted, grown and then cut by him locally.

Besides the smaller work Lee has had numerous commissions over the years in the UK and to a greater extent overseas. Commissions, teaching and exhibiting have seen him travel to Denmark, Sweden, Germany, France, USA and most recently Japan, where it is fair to say that basketwork is more highly regarded than it is here. However, his commissions in this country have included a series with the Anglo/Japanese architects Ushida Findlay that led to his work being shown at the Crafts Council in London.

A development from Lee's larger commissions is the body of work that he calls "Surfaces". These have both practical and purely decorative uses within the contemporary home and three examples, including the one below, will be on show during the exhibition.