Garbage and creative perspective

Video : QUOC CUONG - TIEU YEN

Seemingly worthless items such as plastic scraps, leftover fabric, old paper, packaging, and cans, through the skillful hands and rich imagination of David Del Kan, have been transformed into vivid works of art, carrying the message of environmental protection. Each work in the exhibition carries a story, a new life cycle, and above all, is the author's way of conversing with nature through the language of art. David said that the works were created using recycled materials collected from many countries and traditional craft techniques.

The model of "Buddha's Hand" makes a strong impression on visitors.

The exhibition impresses with models of three-legged chairs, tigers, skulls, turtles, fish, rhinos, leopards, whales, eagle heads, or a series of paintings of landscapes, people, and imaginary characters... The French artist uses steel wire, rims, bicycle axles, drill cores, Coca-Cola cans, fan cages, or kitchen spoon and chopstick holders... to create works of high aesthetic value. To increase the 3D effect, he installed an LED lighting system inside the models. He did not hide his emotion when talking about his journey: "I do not want any of the waste to be buried or burned. I want them to be seen, understood, and live a more valuable life."

An artwork created by an artist from a basket picked up from a garbage dump in Hanoi .

Located in the central area, a 1m long, 100kg tiger model made from copper and concrete pieces of a destroyed hotel or an elephant head model made from recycled plastic fibers... become visual highlights, attracting viewers.

Meanwhile, the collection of paintings of animal heads - human bodies, landscapes... brings excitement to visitors when they successfully depict the vivid expressions of the mascots, combined with classic European aristocratic costumes. All of them suggest reflection on consumer habits and the responsibility of each individual towards the living environment.

A 1m long, 100kg tiger model made from pieces of copper and concrete from a destroyed hotel, or an elephant head model made from recycled plastic fibers.

The author stands next to a whale model, assembled from thin pieces of corrugated iron attached to hard steel frames inside, creating a sturdy and soft structure.

Artist David Del Kan was born in 1972 in the Southeast of France. He came to Vietnam in 2008 and has been here ever since. During his time in Vietnam, he saw trash and scrap everywhere. However, instead of ignoring it, he started collecting it and considering it as material for creating fine art. For example, when he saw a broken table, he immediately thought of recreating a picture frame. Or when he saw a bamboo mat lying around, he thought of a beautiful landscape painting. To date, the artist has more than 1,000 works from recycled trash and more than 400 videos recording the creative process.

Many children were interested in models made from recycled waste.

Many children are fascinated by models made from recycled waste.

It can be said that the combination of wild - aristocratic, modern - classic, waste - art is David's creative manifesto. To complete the elaborate works, it takes him from 1 to 2 months to assemble them by hand. The highlight of his works is the ecological and sustainable elements. According to him, waste takes many years to decompose and turning them into works of art is his way of contributing to protecting the environment as well as maintaining ecological balance.

Artist David enthusiastically shared with visitors about the materials and techniques used to create his works.

Taking place from May 7, the exhibition attracted the attention of many people and tourists. Ms. Nguyen Hong Lam (Nai Hien Dong ward, Son Tra district) said that the works brought her positive energy. "I never thought that discarded items could become such beautiful works of art. In particular, each model is like a gentle but profound reminder of how we are treating waste every day," Ms. Lam concluded.