Emerging from disaster

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Ceramics artist Gillian Weavers of Mudbird is making the best of a bad situation. Her Woolston property, like so many in Christchurch, has taken a hammering in the recent earthquakes. Silt flooded her property in February and again in June, swamping her garage and damaging her kiln. However, Gillian isn’t one to be put off by a spate of natural disasters. She took the silt and made it into something beautiful.

Gillian’s Emerge range of ceramics is a selection of limited edition designs made from silt and white clay. When fired, silt changes from grey to an attractive rusty red – something that Gillian hadn’t expected. “That’s one of the things I love about ceramics – the way you can never quite be sure how things will turn out until you open the kiln and see how the wet clay has been transformed.”

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Gillian is donating 30% of the proceeds of each purchase to one of three appeals – Adopt a Christchurch Family, the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal or the Red Cross Canterbury Earthquake Appeal. You get to choose which is closest to your heart when you make a purchase.

The Emerge range has struck a chord with New Zealanders and following an interview with Katy McRae in the Christchurch Press, Gillian is now making to order due to high demand, with a 2–3 week turnaround on most pieces.

5 thoughts on “Emerging from disaster

  1. How fantastic! What beautiful creations out of such destruction. Fabulous idea and wonderful work. The silt adds a real depth and interest to the colour. Well done!!

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