Dubai art collective puts recycling in new light

'There are pros and cons to using recycled material,' artist Diyali Bhallla says. 'The pros are that we we are reusing materials and making art.'

Jeff Scofield, at Dubai International Art Centre, wants to ‘preserve the simple things in life for future generations’. Pawan Singh / The National

DUBAI // An art collective is using discarded items to create works about self-identity, separation and the beauty of nature.

Around a small table in the International Art Centre of Dubai, four artists diligently work on turning old clothes hangers, scraps of paper, teabags, old curtains and other items of rubbish into art.

Diyali Bhalla, an Indian artist who teaches fashion design and mixed media at the centre, is taking old magazines and rolling them into tubes before glueing them inside a toilet roll.

“There are pros and cons to using recycled material,” Ms Bhalla said.

“The pros are that we are reusing materials and making art. The cons are that our families are ready to throw us out along with our recycled materials.”

As a mixed-media artist, she said working with used materials was a natural transition for her.

Since she began this style years ago, her rubbish-collection methods have increased. Her family endearingly calls her the “rubbish lady” because she has a tendency to find beauty in what others see as trash.

“It is very interesting to say that we are making art from these objects, but when you look at it from an art perspective, nobody wants to hang garbage in their home,” she said.

Beena Samuel, a member of the collective, is an artist who teaches experimental watercolour and silk painting.

“I like dabbling in many mediums, but I find myself dabbling in many different styles,” she said. “But our sensibility is to create art that those who take our art home would not know otherwise.”

Ms Samuel, an Indian who has lived in the UAE for more than 30 years, said collecting materials was important – particularly newspapers and magazines.

“This is all lying around in my house and we tell our friends to collect it, instead of throwing it into the rubbish,” she said.

Jeff Scofield, an American, said he created art to send out a message.

“The message is simple – we can use thrown or found objects to deliver art, and it makes our lives happier,” he said.

“My message is to preserve the simple things in life for future generations to enjoy.”

The group will be having their opening exhibition in September at the Abu Dhabi Art Hub.

Mr Scofield is under no illusion that the artists’ message is all that is needed. Instead, he said, using recycled materials is meant to be supplementary to the personal expression conveyed by the artists themselves.

“It’s not that making a few art pieces is going to save the planet,” he said.

“I can’t recycle that much. But using these objects and making something nice out of them, I can say that there are wonderful things in the world and that we should preserve them.

“We don’t want to get pigeon-holed into that sustainable movement. We are first and foremost fine artists, and we want to express ourselves.”