Bulawayo-based visual artist, sculptor and photographer Danisile Ncube said his three-month project in the great land of KwaZulu in Thekwini, Durban, was a pleasant one.
Ncube was facilitating a project aimed at imparting skills to young and old people on how to make artworks out of tyres.
The project began on February 27 at The BAT Centre titled “Turning Trash into Treasure”, inspired by environmental issues prevelant everywhere.
“My stay in Thekwini was a pleasant one with all levels of creative energies flowing. I was facilitating in the project Turning Trash into Treasure by recycling tyres and creating artworks," Ncube said.
“It was well received and the participants were mainly female. It's still an ongoing project as the fire has been lit. Some participants are already doing their projects at their homes,” Ncube told Standard Style.
He enjoyed dealing with different characters of which more were females old and young.
“The positive energies from the willing learners was quite a driving force. The creative juices flowed easily as their response was so amazing. Females handling power tools they had never used before was an exciting moment, though scary they continued to work,” Ncube said.
“During my stay there, I learnt never to underrate other people. Never to judge the book by its cover. I learnt that dynamite come s in all packages. By listening, one learns and progresses to the next level of thinking and being creative more.
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“Besides the workshop, I saw and met a lot of creatives, well known musicians, actors, and attended an exciting exhibition by Pitika Ntuli at the Durban Art Gallery. Print making in a different way of which it is in the pipeline to share with fellow artists here.”
In addition, Ncube said the works had been exhibited already in the gallery at the center and with great response from the public.
“They demanded that the project should expand to other places as that would benefit a lot of people in job creation. I wish l could plough back to my communities here too. So l am thinking of a workshop in print making with fellow artists and students soon,” he said.
“As we speak, a group of seven artists, six from Bulawayo and one from Harare, namely Stanley Sibanda, Ishmael Singo, Aubrey Bango, Blessing Chandanakira, Nhlahla Magonya and l are busy in our respective studios working as we will be collaborating in the Project Art in the Garden Paintings Exhibition in Harare timed to be at the end of July.”
