2025 and 2026
I have developed a nontoxic process to stabilize kelp.
During my artist residency at Kvitbrakka in Berlevag, Norway (2025), I had the opportunity to have a close look at local resident’s collection of plaited birch bark baskets from Finland. They were so beautifully and evenly constructed.
Plaiting with kelp is challenging because you are working wth it damp and it shrinks as it dries – a very different material to birch bark. So I experimented with using etha foam as a form to plait around and had some success. I explored this further while on my artist residency at Eptek Art & Culture Centre, Summerside, PEI, Canada (2026). I also used some finger kelp I had dyed with food colouring.
plaited sugar kelp (Norwegian kelp) 10cm x 12cm x 9.5cm
sugar kelp (East Coast Canadian kelp) 13.5cm x 10cm x 4cm
finger kelp (East Coast Canadian kelp) 21.5cm x 14cm x 13cm, 26cm x 17.5cm x 17cm, 28cm x 23cm x 17cm
finger kelp (dyed and undyed) (East Coast Canadian kelp) 20cm x 13cm x 9.5