20 Mar 2022

The adage “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” best describes Thebe Monyaka, alias Tpowerm recycling business. He get his treasure from card boxes, which most people still consider to be waste.

He repurposes the card boxes to create valuable and appealing sculptures of various items. One of his most recent creations is a 1.5 metre long sculpture of a soldier carrying ammunition and ready to take on any military assignment. The sculpture can be seen at the Thapong Visual Arts Centre.

To some, it appears to be one of those artefacts to enhance the landscape of the gallery at the showroom, but when the talented artist breaks down the message behind the sculpture, one realises that art is, in fact, a form of communication that, among other things, tell stories of hope, appreciation, love, and expression. Monyaka said in an interview on recently that he was inspired by the idea of appreciating military men and women who continue to serve selflessly in efforts to keep the country at peace and stability.

A message pinned to the three-dimensional sculpture reads, ‘A thousand pieces with Tpowerm, paying tribute to the ordinary.’

According to him, the message translates that the thousand pieces cut from the card box and joined through the use of glue represent the unity that these men and women have demonstrated over the years while serving their country.

It was also intended to be his personal expression of gratitude and recognition to them. “This is a remembrance of the ordinary men and women, some lost their lives while others became disabled in the process, and through this sculpture I wish to pay homage to these people,” he said. Pieces that make up the ammunition can be detached from the sculpture, and this is to express that their duties are not only centred on carrying guns and bullets.

Monyaka, a Durban University of Technology degree graduate who specialises in drawing, walks me through the process of finally having an end product, firstly he draws up any desired item to be designed. He then cuts pieces from the card box and glues them together before applying the Nova weather guard glaze for a nice finish.

The use of a card box was inspired by the fact that it is a readily available material, and it was another way for him to spread his creative wings while also adding a twist to the traditional methods of creating sculptures.

Monyaka’s journey to accomplish the sculpture was not easy, and yet he did not let circumstances deter him from his destiny. “It took me three months to finish it, I worked on each stage delicately, I had to join each piece accurately, it was a taxing task considering I had to cut over a thousand pieces and re-arrange them into a three dimension object,” he said.

Monyaka stated that being a member of Thapong Visual Arts Centre was beneficial because it allowed him to meet and interact with other artists while sharing expertise and advice. Teamwork at the Centre also enables him to build up and improve his skills. ENDS