“Destruction Recrafted,” a new exhibit created from Fiona trash

By Gomathi Sridevi Radhakrishnan

Nov.02, 2023

Jane Whitten’s embroidery work replicating lichens on the crochet. Gomathi Sridevi Radhakrishnan photo.              Jane Whitten wandered around her backyard photographing lichens that grew on trees. She was getting inspiration to recreate the organic matter with wool.

            Lichens are made up of an algae and fungi. They grow slowly. Whitten never had any interest in them until Fiona.

             Multiple trees fell down and were removed from her backyard after Fiona.

“If I didn’t collect them, those lichens would have been destroyed.”

She used the lichens to create a dye for her wool.

             She then knitted replicas of the lichens from the fallen trees.

Whitten is one of the 17 artists who shared her experiences through her artworks at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery reflecting on the destruction of Hurricane Fiona. 

Nearly a year after Hurricane Fiona, P.E.I. Craft Council created a new exhibit, called ‘Destruction Recrafted’. It’s supposed to help bring Islanders together, move past trauma and to make something beautiful out of the devastation, said P.E.I. Craft Council's executive director, Ayelet Stewart.

Stewart expressed her gratitude to the artists who volunteered and submitted their creations.

“After the hurricane left so much destruction, we wanted to do an exhibit that would commemorate, so people won’t forget Fiona… thankfully many artists showed up for this exhibition,” Stewart explained. 

The artists created their art using debris they found after Fiona. 

Whitten’s final piece is bundles of lichen replicas made of wool, placed on a table.

“I want to address people on climate change through my art and changes we have to make to reduce the impact,” said Whitten. 

Jessica Hutchinson’s pottery work of plates and spoons made from ash. Gomathi Sridevi Radhakrishnan photo.

Meanwhile, pottery maker Jessica Hutchinson had several trees struck down by fire during the hurricane. She had lots of debris left behind. 

“All that was left was ash and I used the ash from the trees as an ingredient in glaze making and it all started from there,” Hutchinson explained. 

It took almost a year for Hutchinson to make seven pots. One for each of her fallen trees lost. Each pot is seven inches in diameter.

One of the pieces created by Hutchinson, titled ‘Soup for Days’ was made from ash glaze from fallen spruce and apple trees. 

“I also made some spoons with ash from the trees because we were eating lot of soups for those 18 days without power.” 

When visitors view her artwork, she wants them to revisit and reflect on their own experiences. 

“When I look at them there’s sadness but also beauty and hope like moving forward,” said Hutchinson. 

Jim Aquilani’s jewelry work with the use of cuttlefish, pinecones and pine needles. Gomathi Sridevi Radhakrishnan photo.

Jim Aquilani, a self-taught silversmith, participated in the art show by experimenting with pinecones and pine needles to create jewelry. 

“We lost lot of birch trees, so I used some parts from those trees to make a pendant.” 

Aquilani made earrings, pendants, cuffs and rings with the debris he found in his neighbor's backyard. 

Compared to his usual silver work, this art was dramatically different.

Aquilani found it overwhelming.

“I had to scale the cuttlefish bones to make a metal out of it for my pendant. It was quite tricky.”

Trudy Gilbertson’s carving work on the bone, antlers and wood. Gomathi Sridevi Radhakrishnan photo.

Meanwhile, Trudy Gilbertson, a jeweler and a sculptor carved original designs in bone, antlers and wood.

She was inspired after she took a chain saw safety course to clean her backyard after Fiona. 

The piece is titled ‘And when the power came back on, they danced.’              "I carved the dancers from a matched set of white tail deer antlers from an Alberta ranch. The dancers are mounted on a piece of driftwood that I picked up in on the wharf in North Rustico Harbour in the winter after Fiona,” she said. 

Gilbertson wanted to find beauty in the debris left in the aftermath of the storm.

The art piece took about four days for her to create. 

“It represents finding happiness and joy and reasons to celebrate, even in difficult times.” 

So far, the exhibit is getting lots of visitors, said Stewart.

“We are getting really good feedback from people. It’s very moving for them to see this exhibition and brings back memories,” Stewart said. 

The exhibit is free and runs until Jan.7, 2024.