Ncube turns to recycled art
BULAWAYO-BASED multidisciplinary visual artist Danisile Ncube said he was resorting to recycled waste materials in response to COVID-19 effects that have disrupted his work.
The shift towards environmental conservation appears to be fast spreading to other disciplines.
Speaking to NewsDay Life & Style, Ncube, who is also a photographer, digital art worker and painter said the use of recycled material in his artwork had made him more creative.
“As a multidisciplinary artist, I looked at environmental issues and everyday challenges that humans face and discovered that with recycling material, I can create something meaningful that is eco-friendly in response to health and hygiene,” he said.
“I have my artistic lab where I am experimenting on the use of these materials in my artistic work. I have also been inspired by scrap tyres as I once worked for Dunlop Tyres Zimbabwe long back.”
“It was interesting to know how our tyres pollute the environment in all ways from their making to the dumping. I, therefore, thought of recycling them and making outdoor sculptures.” Ncube said he used photography to capture moments which he presents through art.
“Lately, I have been much into photography. Photography is one of the mediums I am now using in my work and it has been pushing me to go beyond boundaries to find a deep sense and understanding of light, colour, depth and movement,” he said.
“Freedom of expression has always been my drive as it has helped me to bring what I capture in the world to the people, especially those who have no voice and have become the voice of the voiceless.”
He added: “Some of the things I have captured and presented through art include a dumpsite in a township where I observed an environmental concern which I themed Men at Work and A Walk in Filth which shows people walking on mismanaged waste.”
Ncube said although he had been in the creative sector for about three decades, he kept acquiring new skills.
He urged parents to support their children’s talents if they sought to pursue a career in the arts, saying it was time to cast away the mentality that the arts are a preserve for delinquents.