Jeremy Frey Brings Innovation to Traditional Wabanaki Basketry
Jeremy Frey Brings Innovation to Traditional Wabanaki Basketry
- Jeremy Frey is a Maine-born artist who is bringing innovation to traditional Wabanaki basketry.
- Frey’s baskets draw inspiration from shapes like vases, urns, and sea urchins.
- Despite the threat of extinction to the ash tree, Frey is committed to preserving the legacy of Wabanaki basketry and inspiring new approaches to the form.
aine-born artist Jeremy Frey is bringing a fresh perspective to traditional Wabanaki basketry, a practice that has been passed down through his family for generations. Frey's elaborate baskets, which draw inspiration from shapes such as vases, urns, and sea urchins, have garnered recognition at craft fairs across the United States, and have been acquired by major collectors and institutions.
Although Frey has always been surrounded by basketry, he only began practicing it in his early twenties, learning weaving techniques from his mother and harvesting techniques from his uncle. Despite the traditional nature of Wabanaki basketry, Frey strives to innovate the form, seeking to create baskets that are not only functional but also ornate and decorative.
The primary material in Wabanaki basket-making is the ash tree, which Frey carefully selects, chops, splits, and pounds by hand with tools he constructs himself. The artist also incorporates foraged materials such as sweetgrass, porcupine quills, and other tree barks, which he believes allows him to connect more deeply with the materials he uses. However, Frey acknowledges that the ash tree is on the brink of extinction due to the invasive emerald ash borer beetle, which has killed tens of millions of trees across North America. As a result, he fears that he may be part of the last generation who can make traditional Wabanaki baskets.
Despite this uncertainty, Frey is committed to preserving the legacy of Wabanaki basketry and passing it down to future generations. His work has been on display at several prestigious museums across the United States, and he is currently preparing for his first solo gallery exhibition, “Out of the Woods,” which is being held at New York’s Karma gallery. Frey hopes that his work will inspire others to appreciate the beauty and intricacy of traditional basketry while also embracing new and innovative approaches to the form.
