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Moffat Takadiwa at Nicodim Gallery
October 12, 2019 • 11:00 am - October 19, 2019 PDT
On View: September 7 – October 19, 2019
Did you know that your trash and plastic recyclables can end up in the landfills of poorer nations like Malaysia, India, and South Africa? Artist Moffat Takadiwa, who lives in Harare, Zimbabwe—a city that houses one of the largest landfills in the country—mines landfills for plastic trash, much of which contains labels and logos of American brands. He then meticulously sorts and weaves together the found bottle caps, toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes, and keyboard keys into elaborate tapestries. From far away, the works look like beautiful beaded garments, filled with luscious pattern and color. Yet, up close, the used bristles of toothbrushes snap into view, and the grimy details of the work become a distressing symbol of our global waste problem. Not only will you leave this show delighting in the stunning compositions and arrangements of these labor-intensive sculptural works, but you will also reconsider your own relationship to consumerism and plastic waste.