Ivory Park artist turns trash into treasure

Artist Mveliso Ntaba wants to uplift his community through art.

The 27-year-old who was born in Ivory Park, Midrand, is known for his very special handmade craft of turning trash into artwork.

For Ntaba, the environment is filled with many materials that can be turned into art.

“When I think about the amount of trash that is being thrown on the streets and in the oceans, that worries me,” he said.

“Every day we should work towards cleaning our community and in that way we create art.”

He discovered his passion for art after he had completed a course in office administration in 2016. Without a job, he started selling snacks at a nearby market, but little did he know that he was on a path of ‘passion discovery’.

“While I was waiting for customers, I saw boxes near my stall pile up so I started cutting and carving boxes into little houses.”

The self-taught artist said he drew inspiration from ‘usable’ litter.

“Whenever I would walk around the community, I carried a bag and filled it with any usable litter I could find. I went to taverns to ask for boxes and bottle caps. I am inspired by the fact that you can use anything to make art.”

Ntaba added that even though he knew that his art could get him out of the township, he wanted to transfer his skills to other young people in the community.

Starting a gallery is the next big project that Ntaba would like to pursue. He said a gallery would not only give other artists such as musicians and dancers in the community a platform but will also open up job opportunities.

“The ‘tomorrow ones’ are the ones I would like to teach art to. Children these days are constantly on their cell phones. I would like to teach them how to gain a skill so that when they leave high school, they have found a passion.”