THE balcony of the chill-out area for students overlooked the urban sprawl of Soweto that stretched for kilometres to the horizon. But one student barely glanced at the view – he had eyes for only one thing: the bin full of rubbish just below the balcony.
To most people, it would seem just that – a rubbish bin. But to Mbongeni Buthelezi, then barely out of his teens, it contained an array of colours as vivid as any artist’s palette and a selection of textures and shapes filled with endless possibilities.
Who needed pricey materials when you could turn what people throw away into art, he decided. That was 30 years ago, long before recycling and sustainability
