Art can provide a unique perspective on the relationship between humans and our environment.
Olufemi Oyewole, a contemporary artist, uses available materials and conditions within his social context to reflect the experiences and realities around him. He creates art that tells a story about our immediate environment, including the people, places, and time we share together.
One way in which artists are addressing environmental concerns is by engaging in creative exercises that focus on reusing, reducing, recycling, upcycling, and repurposing objects found in landfills and waste bins. By using waste materials in their art, these artists are cleaning up their mess and making their voices heard.
For example, the painting above is made up of waste rugs cut into pieces to create a collage effect. Synthetic fibres, which are used in the production of artificial woolly carpets, pose significant health risks. The chemicals in these carpets can cause respiratory diseases, heart attacks, strokes, asthma, immune and developmental health problems in children. Burning synthetic fibres can also have an adverse effect on the ozone layer and groundwater.
Despite these health and environmental risks, industries continue to depend on synthetic fibres because they are cheaper than their natural counterpart, wool. However, this changing trend in materials innovation and waste aesthetics is enabling the repurposing of leftover or waste rugs into beautiful art pieces. This approach is reducing waste and improving the livelihoods of people.
In conclusion, art has a lot to tell us about our immediate environment, and artists are finding creative ways to address environmental concerns while creating beauty out of waste materials.
Through their work, artists like Olufemi Oyewole are contributing to a healthier and more sustainable world.
Olufemi Oyewole is a Lagos-based experimental artist who lives in Ikorodu. He uses available materials around him to reflect life in his art.
Oyewole employs the collage technique in his carpet painting and believes that art practices should not be limited to principles taught in art schools. He is recognized for his watercolour paintings and is a strong believer in experimentation in arts. This has led to his exploration of unconventional materials such as carpets/rugs, with an attempt to reduce waste and create awareness of environmental pollution. He is a graduate of Fine and Applied Arts, with a master’s degree in the field from Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State. He has held two solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions.