Winners of the City of Cape Town’s Waste to Art Challenge will have their entries exhibited at an expo which opened earlier today. The competition was part of the celebrations to mark the official start of summer and the festive season which started with the Festive Lights Switch On and culminates with the expo.

‘The City’s Waste to Art Challenge Expo shows how we can use discarded material and turn it into beautiful works. All the material used once had another purpose but have remained useful by becoming art’ said the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security Alderman JP Smith.

The winning entry came from 16-year old Ethan Barends a pupil at South Peninsula High School for his entry depicting Cape Town: Window to the World.

His winning piece along with a selection of other works was opened for public display earlier today.

‘I am impressed not only by the level of creativity that has gone into each of the pieces on display here but by their ingenuity and an obvious understanding by the young artists as to the dangers of not looking after our planet.

‘I commend and congratulate each of them for using this platform to advocate to others how we need to look for practical ways to re-purpose re-use recycle rethink and ultimately reduce ‘waste’ products in the City and its surrounds and hopefully beyond’ said Alderman Smith.

Barends who hails from Grassy Park submitted a colourful artwork on recycled paper which he framed by using discarded ‘rubbish’ that he re-purposed. His winning piece also cleverly depicted this year’s Festive Lights Switch-On theme Cape Town: Window to the World.

In second place was 13-year old Shaakirah Samuels a learner at Gordon High in Gordons Bay with her working lampstand and lampshade fashioned from discarded plastic drink bottles and an old light bulb.

Sir Lowry’s Village Primary School was third with their ‘FashTrash’ entry modish outfits created from plastic bags old newspaper and even a crinoline hoop made from old wire.

The mini-expo will run from today until Wednesday 21st December 2019 and is located on the main concourse of the Cape Town Civic Centre.

Entrance is free.

Source: City Of Cape Town