The recycled plastic painter from South Africa, Mbongeni Bethulezi spoke to local artists during the 3rd Fine Art Talk held last friday. In this talk, he spoke candidly of his career and how he developed and refined his technique of recycled plastic painting over the years.
The artist spoke of how he started his journey experimenting with this unique medium. Mbongeni sought to utlize the plastic waste that were discarded everywhere. He used these strips of plastic and a heat gun to emulate brush strokes in his creations. The artist was driven to experiment with these unfamiliar mediums due to his inability at the time to purchase art supplies. However, what started due to necessity, soon became what set the him apart and gained him global recognition as an artist.
He further spoke on how he refined and improved his technique over the years, eventually leading to where he is today. He stressed on the importance of observing the world, especially as an artist or creator, with an open mind and encouraged local artists to to look at and interact with the elements in a different and broader perspective. He spoke extensively on the importance of individual ownership in regard to the preservation of the environment, urging everyone to play their part individually to collectively make a difference.
With the guidance from the artist, attendees also had the opportunity to try the technique themselves, blending into the plastic canvas strips of carefully selected pieces of plastic with a hot gun. This hands on experience allowed for a deeper understanding of the technique discussed.
The event, organized by Fine Art Maldives, took place in Coco Bodu Hithi, and was brought in partnership with Coco Collection. Maldivian Artist Community was the associate partner of the event and MVPlus was the media partner.