South African Mbongeni Buthelezi makes art using plastic waste. He wants his work to make a statement about the damage plastics cause to the environment. Pictured: "Self Portrait."
South African Mbongeni Buthelezi makes art using plastic waste. He wants his work to make a statement about the damage plastics cause to the environment. Pictured: "Self Portrait."
Mbongeni Buthelezi
<a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.science.org%2Fdoi%2F10.1126%2Fscience.1260352" target="_blank" target="_blank">A 2015 study</a> found that South Africa was one of the world's top 20 contributors to marine plastic pollution. Pictured: "Nobuhle (The Beauty Queen)."
A 2015 study found that South Africa was one of the world's top 20 contributors to marine plastic pollution. Pictured: "Nobuhle (The Beauty Queen)."
Mbongeni Buthelezi
Buthelezi first started creating artworks when he was a child in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He sculpted figures of the people and animals he saw around his home. Pictured: "Street Soccer."
Buthelezi first started creating artworks when he was a child in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He sculpted figures of the people and animals he saw around his home. Pictured: "Street Soccer."
Mbongeni Buthelezi
His father kept cows that grazed on the grasslands and often ate plastic litter, which sometimes led to the death of the animals. Buthelezi and his father would find plastic in the stomachs of these cattle. Pictured: "Girl."
His father kept cows that grazed on the grasslands and often ate plastic litter, which sometimes led to the death of the animals. Buthelezi and his father would find plastic in the stomachs of these cattle. Pictured: "Girl."
Mbongeni Buthelezi
As a young man Buthelezi moved to Soweto, in Johannesburg, to enroll in an arts school. The school had an imaginative approach to materials, to compensate for lack of funding. Pictured: "Tebogo and Friends."
As a young man Buthelezi moved to Soweto, in Johannesburg, to enroll in an arts school. The school had an imaginative approach to materials, to compensate for lack of funding. Pictured: "Tebogo and Friends."
Mbongeni Buthelezi
Whilst he was studying, he began to use waste materials in his artworks as an alternative to expensive traditional mediums like oil paints. Pictured: "Soweto landscape 1."
Whilst he was studying, he began to use waste materials in his artworks as an alternative to expensive traditional mediums like oil paints. Pictured: "Soweto landscape 1."
Mbongeni Buthelezi
Next to his student art studio space was a municipal waste dumping ground where Buthelezi found lots of different colors and textures of plastic waste, which he collected and began to experiment with. Pictured: "Construction site."
Next to his student art studio space was a municipal waste dumping ground where Buthelezi found lots of different colors and textures of plastic waste, which he collected and began to experiment with. Pictured: "Construction site."
Mbongeni Buthelezi
Buthelezi developed his own method of melting the plastic refuse with a heat gun and applying it to a canvas as you would a thick paint. Pictured: "Portrait of a Boy."
Buthelezi developed his own method of melting the plastic refuse with a heat gun and applying it to a canvas as you would a thick paint. Pictured: "Portrait of a Boy."
Mbongeni Buthelezi
He wants to show the world that art can be good for the planet. "The world we live in today can offer us everything we need to make art without manufacturing more," he says. Pictured: "Women."
He wants to show the world that art can be good for the planet. "The world we live in today can offer us everything we need to make art without manufacturing more," he says. Pictured: "Women."
Mbongeni Buthelezi
As Buthelezi's career progressed, he found new sources of plastic -- often collecting litter from the streets. By doing this, he hopes to do his part to reduce plastic waste in South Africa and show others how they can do so. Pictured: "Man."
As Buthelezi's career progressed, he found new sources of plastic -- often collecting litter from the streets. By doing this, he hopes to do his part to reduce plastic waste in South Africa and show others how they can do so. Pictured: "Man."
Mbongeni Buthelezi
He has taken up artist residences in universities around the world to make art alongside environmental scientists. Pictured: "Soweto Landscape 2."
He has taken up artist residences in universities around the world to make art alongside environmental scientists. Pictured: "Soweto Landscape 2."
Mbongeni Buthelezi
He now travels the world showing his work, giving demonstrations of his techniques, hosting workshops, and teaching people about the effects plastics have on the environment. Pictured: "Untitled."
He now travels the world showing his work, giving demonstrations of his techniques, hosting workshops, and teaching people about the effects plastics have on the environment. Pictured: "Untitled."
Mbongeni Buthelezi
"As an artist I am the mirror of my society," says Buthelezi. Pictured: "What's up for dinner tonight?"
"As an artist I am the mirror of my society," says Buthelezi. Pictured: "What's up for dinner tonight?"
Mbongeni Buthelezi