Chronicle Editor
Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
NATURALLY, it’s somewhat hard to believe that something as ubiquitous as a waste plastic paper or used plastic bottle could ever be turned into an amazing work of art that is life-sustaining.
For most us, plastic paper or bottles are dumped in the dustbin as soon as we are done with them. But for Mr James Ncube (44), they serve a whole different purpose. They are his livelihood as he turns them into incredibly realistic animal sculptures.
Mr Ncube, who hails from Filabusi in Insiza District, Matabeleland South, dropped out of school in 1990 after his father, the sole breadwinner in the family, developed a mental illness.
There was no one to pay his school fees resulting in him dropping out. He came to Bulawayo in 1995 where he survived through handouts on the streets.
“It was a tough moment for me when my father fell ill and there was no one to look after us as children. I failed to complete my Grade Seven and decided to go to Bulawayo with the hope of securing employment in the industries but I ended up living on the streets,” said Mr Ncube.
As poverty continued to take its toll on him, he found himself staying at a squatter camp in Ngozi Mine, a dumpsite situated on the northern fringes of Bulawayo, where he survived on scavenging for garbage and selling it to waste recycling companies.
“There was too much competition and unnecessary fights over garbage at Ngozi Mine. I then decided to be innovative by extending my twig weaving skills, which I learnt from my grandmother, through creating sculptures out of waste plastic material,” said Mr Ncube.
Lady luck smiled on him when his talent was spotted by operators of Hillside Dams Conservancy in Bulawayo and they offered him shelter and a space from where he could operate.
Today, Mr Ncube runs a small craft centre at Hillside Dams Conservancy targeting visitors to the tourist site.
He uses dumped plastic bottles and waste plastic paper as his main materials to produce a series of beautiful and inspiring recycled art depicting nature.
Through heating, melting, cutting and drilling, Mr Ncube reshapes the bottles to create beautiful sculptures.
Mr Ncube creates stunning sculptures from birds, life size human beings or giant animals whose figurative outline is impressively realistic and recognisable.
The Bulawayo-based artist has been working with melted plastic bottles for the past 20 years and has created several sculptures, including a bench, which was recently taken to the Natural History Museum in the city.
“This form of art is called recycled art, and I believe transforming waste into art is a brilliant way of protecting the environment. In making the sculptures, I use galvanised mesh wire to make the basic body of the object and then utilise an assortment of melted plastic bottle and paper to come up with recycled masterpieces,” he said.
Mr Ncube’s productions are mostly in the form of animals and human beings and the process is done entirely by hand. However, due to lack of resources, his sculptures lack the coloured print to enhance their contours and gradations. Mr Ncube said his creative output is largely inspired by nature and his own childhood memories.
His dream is to see his charming plastic objects being collected by corporations and showcased at exhibition shows.
“Recycled art is not only something that an artist makes for living, it also presents a great lesson that we should not underestimate the power of even trash. I think this is the true beauty of the recycled art, showing us that with belief and passion, even abandoned item can become one of the most beautiful art in the world,” said Mr Ncube.-@mashnets
Online Reporter