Nigerian Artist Nkwocha Ernest turns old tyres into Amazing Artworks
Ernest Nkwocha Ogbonna was born in October 1986, he hails from Ngo-Opkala local government, Imo State, Nigeria. He is a sculptor who specializes in recycling discarded tires. Ernest got his education from the prestigious Auchi polytechnic, Auchi, Edo state. He currently lives and works out of his studio in Lagos.
Tyre sculpting is the art of taking tyres considered junk and up-cycling them into something much better for a new purpose. Ernest Nkwocha does exactly this.
In an interview with BBC, he said, ‘They call it trash but I see it as raw materials. I’ve been doing this for almost seven years now,’
‘Sometimes some of the tyres give me ideas on what to work on. Especially when I do not know what to do.’
‘There was a crocodile I did. I was moved by the tyre I saw. The texture of the tyre reminds me of the texture of a crocodile’s back.’
Ernest also educates, teaches, and informs his fellow communities about the effects of discarding rubber tyres in the open on the environment and the usefulness of the raw material.
‘I am trying to sensitize the people in the environment and I am trying to sensitize the people about the usefulness of this material.’
Ernest who has worked on animal figureheads is looking to make the transition to creating human figures from the tyres he finds.
‘In the next two, three years I want to go beyond Nigeria and Africa. I wish to do international exhibitions as well.’
Exhibitions
Ernest Nkwocha has participated in numerous exhibitions, some of which includes:
1. Upcycle, IICD center, Abuja, 2019.
2. My and my environment, Nike art gallery, Lagos, 2016.
3. October rain, Nike art gallery, Lagos, 2015.
4. SNA centenary, Omenka art gallery, Lagos, 2014.
5. October rain, Nike art gallery, Lagos, 2014.
6. October rain, Nike art gallery, Lagos, 2013.
7. Auchi art convention, Art and design, 2009.
8. Creative mind, Harmattan workshop, 2008.
Source: Aworamka, youarts.quora.com, Pinterest
