The remains of destroyed houses were turned into a commemorative sculpture of Cyclone Gabrielle

Creating the sculpture from pieces of ruined houses is an important step to commemorate the devastation that Cyclone Gabrielle caused in the Muriwai community, according to those involved.

Their community was devastated by landslides that destroyed homes and the death of two volunteer firefighters.

Now Muriwai residents are using materials salvaged from uninhabitable Category 3 properties to build a memorial sculpture to commemorate the tragic events of almost two years ago.

For the past few weeks, workshops have been held every Saturday under the supervision of renowned Kiwi artist, Jeff Thompson, whose works can be seen at Gibbs Farm and Te Papa.

Every Saturday, the Muriwai Surf Club fills with locals who come together to create something beautiful – from the remains of destroyed homes.

Sixty-eight houses in Muriwai are listed as category three, most of them are being demolished and others will be transported elsewhere.

The idea of ​​creating a sculpture made of recovered materials was born with the victims of those who lost their homes in mind, such as Pipi and her family.

“Well, we were one of the families that were displaced immediately after the cyclone, our house was hit from behind by a landslide.”

Pipi also took part in local rescue operations on the night of the cyclone.

She said the idea of ​​a commemorative sculpture seemed like the right one.

“Making sure we have something to commemorate an event like this seems good and a little special – well, let’s remember such a huge event that touched so many people here.”

Longtime resident Erin Griffin is a passionate mosaic artist leading today’s workshop.

Each person receives a tile and then breaks or cuts pieces to fit their chosen design.

They encourage residents to bring their own items that will remind them of their old homes.

“A lot of people do what they love, which is sunsets at Muriwai or their house numbers.

“It will be great when everything is ready and people can come up and look and say, well, I made this tile and this plate or this tile was in our bathroom.”

Today, Pipi breaks the plate and uses piano keys recovered from the family home to create her work.

Others, like Jacqui, brought with them a family plaque that once hung outside the front door.

“It was something we had on the front door and when I went back to see the house just before the bulldozers demolished it, it was still there but it had just lost the garden. Yes. When it came, I thought, oh, I know what I’m going to use.”

Jacqui said she felt extremely lonely for a while at Muriwai, but the workshops were a chance for her to take a break from everyday life and just have fun.

“There was another group here last week and they asked me to join their book club, so that was lovely. There is a real atmosphere here, created by people who know and love this community. It’s really powerful to do that.”

For lead artist Jeff Thomspson, inviting him to participate in the project was a no-brainer.

“I never even hesitated to say no, I just said yes right away.”

He pitched several ideas for the sculpture, but said there was one clear winner based on community voting.

His vision for the final product was five or six abstract standing columns up to four meters high, made of a variety of materials, from bricks and tiles to taps and letterbox numbers.

Thompson obtained permission to enter the demolished houses to photograph and collect materials for the sculpture.

“They are just empty shells of houses. It’s really very sad when you think that people lived there and now had to move out and move on, it certainly changed the lives of a huge number of people.

“For me it was a very humbling experience. I realize that these places have a bit of sacredness to them.”

Groundworks for the sculpture are underway next to Muriwai Ranger Station. It is hoped that approximately three columns will be unveiled in time to mark the second anniversary of Cyclone Gabrielle on February 13.

Before the final draft ends at the end of March, depending on whether they can make it its fundraising goal of $22,000.