Upcycling, a green initiative

Both addressing his passion for arts and issues on solid waste management, Dermie Joey C. Paspie excels in a new art approach called Upcycling.

When arts and environmental initiatives are combined, a result is expected to be nothing less of a sustainable creation.

Such is the case of the works of upcycling artist Dermie Joey C. Paspie. He has been transforming trash into something cool, valuable, and useful.

Upcycling is an artistic approach in transforming waste materials, by-products, useless or unwanted products and new materials of better quality and better environment value.

His works were exhibited at the Mati City Park and Baywalk last September where he displayed over five life-size upcycled artworks in support of Mati City’s Solid Waste Integrated Management (Swim) program.

“This is to show the youth that we can do good things out of creativity and resourcefulness,” he shared.

While improper solid waste management still is an issue in the society, Paspie wants to establish that recycling through arts is a good initiative that the youth can do. Through recycling, valuable things can be produced if mixed with creativity.

“Materials are everywhere, it only takes guts and creativity. But beyond doing this for arts, this is also my way of preserving our planet through recycling,” Paspie shared.

Paspie started upcycling in 2009 when he was in Tagum City meeting with co-artists. This kind of art captured his interest the very first time he discovered it.

The 32-year old Mati-based artist has already produced over 20 upcycled artworks, both life-size and miniature.

“I made all my artworks out of my imagination, I always make it to a point to produce unique artworks, something that the people would be interested and recognized,” he said.

With his unusual skills, he was hired by the City Government of Mati under the Barangay Integration for Development and Action (Bida) program as an upcycling artist.

His envisions to maintain creating impressive art figures that are three-dimensional piece from waste materials of various shapes, sizes, and types.

Apart from arts, Paspie is also into music. His particular influences are reggae, ethnic, and OPM alternatives. He also plays various instruments like tambol, mouth harp (Kubing), and flute. His band occasionally performs in some city events.

But before his life in arts and music, he was an out-of-school youth when he was only 16 years old.

He stopped high school as his parents got separated.

“But arts and music saved me,” he said. /

Materials are everywhere, it only takes guts and creativity. But beyond doing this for arts, this is also my way of preserving our planet through recycling