Converting Waste Fabric To Art

 

Spanish Painter Pablo Picasso once said, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”This famous saying rings true to 25-year-old Abandy Faith from Delta State, Nigeria. Her textile collage artwork steals your eye the moment you get struck by her work. Faith is a multimedia fabric collage artist who uses waste fabric to make phenomenal paintings and portraits.

 

 

“My imagination has always been captured by the wonderful selection of colored and patterned Ankara material. I love mixing colors and patterns. I get the tailor off-cuts from women who sew at the market. They give me their waste fabrics which I use in my artwork. I then select, dust, clean, and separate the fabrics according to colors.”

 

 

Her experience in fabric manipulation reveals her creativity bringing her artwork alive with different colored textile scraps. Her work focuses on feminism, cultural pride and preservation of the environment.” I’m using materials that are supposed to be toxic. Instead of throwing them and damaging the environment, I re-use them for my artwork.”

How does she conceptualize her work?

 

“I start by having a visual inspiration for something I have seen before. I paint everything in my brain- the color scheme and type of fabric to use. Secondly, I look for image references for that particular image I want to work on and draw a sketch of it. Then, I cut the fabrics into small pieces and start arranging them like a puzzle. I glue and pin the pieces on the canvas until I achieve the desired look. I then hotpress the canvas to make it durable and the image is then ready for framing. The nose, eyes, head and eyes are complete fabric.”

 

 

The graduate of fine arts and design  began professional work as a fabric collage artist in 2018 and has evolved and grown in confidence albeit with a few challenges. “Some people don’t want to give me fabric because of traditions. They fear I might use it for ritual. But I never want to give up,” she says.

“I document my work on my website and social media. I also put my works in group exhibitions. I have clients in Minnesota, Chicago, and South Africa. My local market is in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja. I plan to do my solo exhibition in 2021.”

What advice would you give to an aspiring fabric artist?

 

“Keep going and never give up. Every day is a learning opportunity for anyone in the creative sector. Stay focused, keep working and don’t listen to people’s negative vibes about your work.”

Did the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) protests affect you?

 

“I remember one day I was coming from an event and they stopped me. They noticed that I had tattoos on my body and asked me to give them my phone. They asked about my work and I showed them my online platform where I showcase my work. They started clobbering me calling me an internet fraudster. I sustained injuries. The brutality and profiling of young people are real. That is why I participated in the anti-SARS protest to call for its disbandment. We must begin a conversation on respecting the youth and their work and creating enabling environment for them to thrive devoid of intimidation. I urge the youth to stand up and take charge in remaking the communities we live in. governments must stop treating the youth like criminals and instead put up development policies for their empowerment.”