Dominica has seen both sides of the coin when it comes to nature: while it has become well accustomed to its beauty, it has also seen its wrath.
Hurricane Maria devastated the island in September 2017, destroying approximately 80% of Dominica’s buildings, roads, bridges and utilities, and ravaging its once-dense rainforests. Today, however, thanks to the generosity of the international community and the fertility of its land, most visitors would never know what happened. The hurricane lives on in occasional unrepaired buildings – now ruins succumbing to vines – in memories and nightmares, and in art.
The Waitukubuli Artist Association (WAA) was formed just before the hurricane and came into prominence in its aftermath. This dynamic collective of young local artists drew inspiration from the devastating power of nature, capturing this moment in history by portraying images of rural and urban scenes of both destruction and survival.