Fibre Artist Transforms Ocean Pollutants Into Sculptures, Macrame And Basketry
Janis Ledwell-Hunt is a fibre artist from Vancouver Island whose giant sculptures transform discarded ropes, marine debris and ocean plastics into complex knotted sculptures. What began eight years ago as a simple macramé hobby quickly grew into a new career, prompting Janis to leave her job and launch a fibre art supply business. Her passion lies in exploring the intersection between craft and fine art—using knots as both language and sculpture, she pushes the traditional boundaries of macramé.
Explaining how she arrived at this unusual technique, Ledwell-Hunt revealed, “Knots don’t need to pass through another material in order to hold their shape: they’re formed when a material is affixed to another part of itself. In this way, I see knots as stand-alone structures. Habitually, they hold themselves together with the intention of remaining secure and intact. Knots are not terribly flexible; they stubbornly resist their disarticulation. This–the unique character of knots–makes sculpture a very logical extension of macrame”.
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Ledwell-Hunt’s materials are as unique as her vision. She rescues and repurposes rope and ocean plastics that wash up on local shores, painstakingly disentangling them into usable strands. Though working with these stubborn plastics can be technically challenging, Ledwell-Hunt admits she is driven by a desire to take a material that’s potentially harmful to the environment and to use it against its intention. Each sculpture is not just a creative feat, but an ecological statement—turning a material that would otherwise pollute oceans and threaten nature into something beautiful and thought-provoking.
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Much of her inspiration comes from women who have shaped the world of fibre art, as well as themes of transformation and regeneration found in both ecology and art history. Ledwell-Hunt’s creative process is meticulous: it involves careful planning, sketching, and frequent collaboration with her partner, a welder/fabricator who helps bring her vision to life through custom-designed metal structures that serve as the backbone for her intricate knots.
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Janis Ledwell-Hunt’s art stands as a testament to creativity, craftsmanship, and environmental stewardship—proving that even the most overlooked materials can be woven into something truly extraordinary.
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