Experimental basketmaker and knitter creating functional and dysfunctional pieces using traditional textile techniques and non-traditional materials

Jane Meredith Whitten is an experimental knitter and basket maker presently living on Epekwitk/Prince Edward Island, Canada.

“I was born in and raised in inland Australia with few visits to the ocean, but a year on the North Atlantic coast as a child changed my life and as an adult I’ve lived as near to that coast as possible, in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and now Prince Edward Island. It’s my time on these northern shores — the wind, the waves, the rocks, the sands, and all the creatures living there — that inspires, invigorates, and rejuvenates me. But there are significant changes afoot that are of grave concern. As I wander, I’m seeing the impacts of water temperature and water levels rising, reduced winter ice, constant erosion, and the increase of extreme weather events.”

Jane uses traditional techniques in non-traditional ways, often using unconventional materials. She works on the premise that if you have enough of something, you can make a basket out of it — you just have to figure out what the material brings to the table and what you need to add to create the desired form. Jane’s pieces  engage the viewer, forcing them to reflect on issues impacting the environment and the urgency of taking action. She believes that there is hope; humans are creative, and now is the time to put that creativity to work.

Whitten’s basketry and knitting has been exhibited in group and solo shows in Canada, USA, New Zealand, and Australia. She was nominated for the Canada Council’s Saidye Bronfman Award for Excellence in Fine Craft in 2001 and 2024, and has won numerous awards for her creations. Her work is in public and private collections nationally and internationally including Prince Edward Island Art Bank, Charlottetown, Canada; Nova Scotia Art Bank, Halifax, Canada; Claridge Collection, Montreal, Canada; Confederation Center Art Gallery, Charlottetown, Canada; and Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa, Canada.

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