As she remembers, in her family, husk weaving has been practiced for many previous generations, even during the war. Supporting husk weaving has been intertwined with the modern history of the village of Nesvady as assistance to the local residents through purchasing finished products. She remembers how her mother used to weave and she would help her. As a child, she would strip the husks, and when she was older, she could even try to independently make a walking stick. Over time, she took over her mother’s entire assortment and eventually also took over her role as the leader of the workshop.

The leader of the Nesvady craftsmen has been Maria Kesziova since 1982, when her mother fell seriously ill. To this day, she has taught husk weaving to fifteen women, three of whom are still active. She is also open to training new craftsmen but, according to her, the younger generation is currently not interested. There is no successor in her own family either. She herself enjoys the production very much, finds it fulfilling, loves it, and does it with passion – inherited traits from her mother.

Her assortment includes walking sticks, baskets, coasters, and tablecloths of various sizes and shapes woven from finely twisted husks in natural and dyed colors. She is also open to creating patterns from newspapers or photographs. She can even make a husk doll, a skill she learned from her mother. She produces regularly, alternating weaving with other older Nesvady residents who work in the greenhouse growing vegetables. Besides husk weaving, she also enjoys knitting, embroidery (relief), and crocheting.

In the past, she used to get molds for her products from the ÚĽUV (Centre for Folk Art Production), but her husband was also able to make them, as well as her sons who are trained carpenters. The biggest challenge she faces today is the material itself – it’s not easy to find high-quality husks anymore, although recently, a type of long, white corn has appeared which provides excellent material for weaving. She grows the corn herself, and even though the husks have been stored for two decades, they are still usable.

In 2005, she was awarded the title of Master of Folk Art Production for her dedication to preserving and further developing the craft of weaving utility items from finely twisted husks.