“Art has the power to reach out to people of all age groups and can influence them in better ways,” according to software engineer Swapna Namboodiri, one of QatART’s board members.
QatART, a group of Qatari and expatriate artists specialising in a myriad of handmade crafts, holds the annual “Katara QatART Handmade Market” at the Katara Art Studios Courtyard - Building 19 from October to April. This summer season, the group will hold a series of workshops at Katara until September.
“Recycling is one of my ways to show and inspire people to do their part in protecting the planet. Creating something from discarded household items will help me to spread the message about the scope of reusing for a better tomorrow. And through this, I believe we can all work together for a greener planet,” she explained.
A "bird's nest" created from a bottle base and bottle cut thread. The "eggs" are cut and painted and burlap pieces also add texture.
Asked if QatART has plans reach out to school children and teach them the value of recycling by holding lectures or workshops, Namboodiri said some QatART members have already conducted workshops on recycling newspapers and plastic bottles at Katara Art Studios.
“The response was really great. We would definitely like to do awareness programmes or workshops in schools, as well. Since ours is a handmade community, we strongly support and encourage quality, upcycled/recycled crafts, which is why we prefer to use handmade and eco-friendly decorations for all our events,” she stressed.
Namboodiri, who specialises in “stained glass technique,” also utilises recycled plastic bottles and caps to create different forms of art and sculptures.
“As I am always inclined to work on glass and similar media, it didn’t take much time for me to utilise plastic bottles, too because of its transparent and flexible surface. I could easily relate the use of plastic bottles with my glass works, which is why I always get motivated to do another recycled project,” she said.
Asked if creating “recycled art” has a deeper meaning or just a hobby, she said: “Even though it started as a hobby, I soon realised that through my works, I am doing something for the planet, too.
“So I started exploring more on the process of recycling and reusing almost everything. It would be an achievement for me if I could inspire at least one person from my audience to think twice before throwing plastic waste.”
To inspire more people to protect the environment, Namboodiri suggested the motto “reduce, reuse, and recycle.”
“Reduce means we can very well restrict ourselves to a certain extent in using plastic bottles and plastic carry bags, or replace them with more eco-friendly products. To reuse is opting for reusable products than disposable ones. Rather than throwing away electronic gadgets or used clothes, people can donate them so others can still use them.
“There is a vast possibility to recycle many things that we use on daily basis. Since plastic bottles take hundreds or even a thousand years to completely degrade, why don’t we start recycling or reusing them? Our kids must be taught about the importance of recycling and usage of eco-friendly products, and also their responsibility towards the planet,” she added.
