From recycle to upcycle: how these entrepreneurs and artists show the way for the conscious consumer

PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the earlier 295 posts, we featured an art festival, cartoon gallery. world music festival, telecom expo, millets fair, climate change expo, wildlife conference, startup festival, Diwali rangoli, and jazz festival.

Mumbai’s annual Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (KGAF), celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, had a wide range of exhibits featuring recycled and upcycled art. These forms were prominent in the children’s section of the festival as well, thus sending out strong messages of environmental awareness to the next generation of India’s nation builders.

See YourStory’s earlier coverage of the 2018 and 2017 festivals, as well as the 2019 edition (organiser insights, Part I, Part II). In this photo essay, we feature the recycled and upcycled art exhibits at KGAF 2019, along with artist insights from the nine-day festival.

“It's time to let go of the cliche and embrace new and eco-friendly forms of lighting,” said Prerna Gupta, Founder of Floft Sudio, in a chat with YourStory. “Art is all about creating a modern day legacy for generations to come,” she adds. She says art is also a form of expression and meditation for her.

Prerna offers tips and advice for aspiring artists and entrepreneurs as well: motivation, patience, and innovation. “The motivation and reason behind getting into artpreneurship should be clear, and the way ahead should be paved in tandem with that. Remember that you are into getting into it for the long run, and short term failures will only lead to success in the long term. So vision, patience and dedication are essential,” she urges.

“Be open to exploring newer avenues and newer ideas each day. What is successful today might not be relevant tomorrow, so innovation is the key,” Prerna advises.

“We all should be more accepting and encouraging of recycled art. Recycled is not equal to cheap products. Recycled artworks are handmade, one piece at a time, and that requires attention to detail and high personal involvement,” says Parveen Jiterwal, Founder and CEO of recycled art firm KareGhar. The founding teams also includes Radhika Butala,

Ankita Parab, and Haider Mehta.

The creative thought of recycling automobile scrap first came to the team as a hobby, then became a full-fledged business once the core group grew. “We realised that all four of us had the same passion and ambitions to have a business that enables creative products,” Parveen recalls.

Some pieces can take as many as ten days to make, and there is lot of creative thinking process and production techniques that go into each piece of work. “Make recycled art accessible to all. It need not all be expensive products, but a healthy mix and range that allows more people to use and try recycled products,” Parveen advises.

That encourages more people in future to make it a regular habit to use recycled products. “Always share. Don't just create a piece of art, but create a movement that inspires others to recycle, or use recycled products,” he signs off.

Now, what have you done today to stop in your tracks, assess your environmental-friendly practices, and become a more conscious consumer?

Got a creative photograph to share? Email us at [email protected]!

See also the YourStory pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups,’ accessible as apps for Apple and Android devices.