Waste transformed to art

Waste is (or wastes) are the substance discarded after being utilised, or defective for no more to use. Therefore they are unwanted or unusable materials. However, waste may be used to create ‘next material’. But skill and creativity have to work on it.That means, waste may turn to a source for a valuable material.

Wastes generated at different sources have become a huge problem for the governments – federal to local – in Nepal.

In Nepal, wastes are categorised into municipal waste, industrial waste, medical waste, human waste, agricultural waste, forest waste and so on.

Keeping the values and possible reuses, wastes are considered to utilise to generate energy, produce organic fertilisers, recycle to produce plastic wares, irons and metals are used for metal industries, paper, glass and rubber also utilised. So many types of day to day use product are made out of the waste, also for the industries.

All waste cannot be reutilised, so as a big portion of total waste is dumped at certain designed dumping site. Out of reusable objects artists put their idea and skill to create artistic value utilising ‘the waste’.

On a superficial level, art from waste or recycled art can be defined as creative productions that make use of waste or discarded objects. Because recycled materials are used to create art, this type of art brings to attention the looming threat of pollution as a result of the consumerist culture that defines modern-day living. In addition to the statement made by the use of waste as a defining feature of this type of art, creations can be constructed in such a way to raise awareness of particular problems that have arisen in various fields, such as climate change or diminishing biodiversity or deforestation.

There are a few enthusiastic artists who create attractive sculptures utilising waste materials. Some rock gardens are created to display such sculptures in some places in the world. One of such places is in Chandigadh, India.

Nek Chand was the creator of Chandigarh’s famous Rock Garden. The raw material for his creations was all waste – be it rocks and stones, broken bangles, light switches, electrical appliances, broken plates and other Bone China and ceramic material, discarded and broken wash-basins and even toilet seats, marbles and anything and everything that was a complete waste for others.

For the initial few years, Nek Chand silently pursued his love for creating things from waste. He created several things, hiding it from the eyes of the authorities and the public.

A few such activities have taken place in Nepal too. ‘The Mount Everest – 8848 Art Project I’ was started by The Art Club of Nepal, a branch of the Kathmandu-based art events and research company Da Mind Tree.  The project was conducted to collect tons of trash left by the thousands of mountaineers who have scaled or attempted to the Mt Everest. The objects collect were to turn into show pieces. The objects, which include empty cans, cups, tents, air tanks, and even the wreckage of a helicopter, were collected by porters organised by the Everest Summiteers Association (ESA), an association of climbers who have successfully conquered Everest. The trash was carried down on Yaks’ back in the spring of 2011 and again in 2012.

The ESA then donated the trash to The Art Club of Nepal, which then went out and gathered artists to begin the transformation process. 15 visual artists and 4 guest artists were gathered. The organisers provided them a platform where they could come together, share their ideas and create sculptures from the waste materials.

Adding one more action to collect waste and utilise collected materials to showcase transforming them to art pieces or showpieces was organised in January 2021. The campaign conducted in the foothills of Mt Everest. That will be a message to highlight the need to save the world’s tallest mountain from turning into a dumping site.

Used oxygen bottles, torn tents, ropes, broken ladders, cans and plastic wrappers discarded by climbers and trekkers litter the 8,848.86 metre (29,032 feet) tall peak and the surrounding areas were collected.

The organisers said that foreign and local artists would be engaged in creating artwork from waste materials and train locals to turn trash into treasures. However, progress of this campaign and outcomes need to be widely publicised for the cause of waste management and some of waste to turn to sculptures. Some artists in Nepal, in the past, used waste or waste like materials – sprockets, chains, pieces of torn newspaper, cloths and jute bags – in creating art with collage effect.

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Sharada Man Shrestha is one of enthusiastic senior artists and art educator.His creations  -paintings and embossed metal works are well appreciated among art academia and art lovers. He enjoys creating sculptures utilising waste materials. For Shrestha, waste to art is another field where he utilises waste materials to give lives as the artistic ‘creations’. 

He had exhibited some impressive sculptures created utilising waste materials.

Born in 1953, in Kathmandu Sharada Man Shrestha completed Intermediate in Fine Arts from Lalit Kala MahaVidhyalaya, Kathmandu in 1971. He had participated in various art exhibitions and festivals since 2002. He also had received prestigious awards

Shrestha is a founder member of Sirjana Contemporary Art Gallery and founder member of Sirjana College of Fine Arts. Currently he is member of board of directors of Sirjana College of Fine Arts, Kathmandu and is a visiting faculty in Sirjana College of Fine Arts, Kathmandu.

These creations generate the value recovered from the waste. This is also to realise that waste can fetch artistic value. Thus, a good message spread on value of waste. (By R. P. Narayan)