Alexis Marie Chute: The Quiet Rebuild

I have been an artist my whole life, but it was only after a tragedy in my family that I discovered the deeper meaning I wished to share through my work. In 2010, my newborn son, whom we named Zachary, died in my arms from a cardiac tumour. That event has shaped who I have become as a woman, mother, artist, and photographer. It took me a year after my loss to return to my creative work. That was the time my art and photography morphed into an outlet to understand my sorrow. Little did I know that early work would be the genesis of an ongoing series I call The Quiet Rebuild. The series includes paintings and wood sculpture, but the most compelling component is the photographs. By 2013 I had arrived at a place on my grief journey where I felt compelled to tell the stories of others. I was the Artist in Residence at Harcourt House Artist Run Centre when I put out a call for volunteers to participate in The Quiet Rebuild. The online call went something like this: “Have you been through a personal struggle and are rebuilding your life? I’m looking for volunteers to share their stories in conceptual portraits.”