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From scrap to art | David Migwi
In a Nairobi neighborhood in Kenya, David work quietly in his small workshop. He creates animals and toy cars from scrap metal. Empty oil boxes or soda cans that people have thrown away as waste become his main source of material. What others see as waste, he turns into something useful. He reshapes the old cans into handmade products that he sells to earn a living and support his family.
David Mondi Migwi is 51 years old. He was born and raised in a military camp in Nairobi, yet not a soldier himself as his father was. After finishing his education, he focused on this craft and made it his profession. Each day, he can produce two to three metal animals in his workshop. Through this work, he provides for his family and pays for his children’s education.
He chuckles with a smile and remembers when he was asked to make 200 reindeer, a very large order for him. After completing them, the customer asked where the ears had gone. He realized that he had made 200 reindeer without any ears. Things like this happen, and he had to take them apart and redo the work properly, which cost him an extra day and gave him a laugh.
The repurpose artform began when metal cans were introduced during the colonial period. Over time, as the cans became more colorful, artists began using them creatively to make decorative and functional items. The series The Legacy of Adam is inspired by Daniel and other artists like him. To reflect a strong national identity, this visual style appears throughout the films. The animals are made from metal cans, and even the clothing, swords, and drinking cups follow the same artistic inspiration.
One evening, as Daniel was walking home through the streets of Nairobi, he passed by prostitute women working on the streets while their children played nearby. He still had three toy cars left from that day’s work. Seeing the children playing in traffic he called them over and gave away two of his cars, to keep them busy away from the road.
“It was a big part of my day’s work,” he said, “but seeing them smile gave me peace. At that time, I was not thinking about selling. I only wanted to share.”
David hopes that more people will discover his work, perhaps through the series, so that his art can reach a wider audience. He also wishes to train more young people in this craft because he sees it as a real source of employment.
His dream is for his work to be recognized and valued like other professions, and for Africa to one day establish industries capable of producing toys on a large scale, similar to countries like China. He believes this is possible with the right vision and commitment.
The repurpose artform began when metal cans were introduced during the colonial period. Over time, as the cans became more colorful, artists began using them creatively to make decorative and functional items. The series The Legacy of Adam is inspired by Daniel and other artists like him. To reflect a strong national identity, this visual style appears throughout the films. The animals are made from metal cans, and even the clothing, swords, and drinking cups follow the same artistic inspiration.
One evening, as Daniel was walking home through the streets of Nairobi, he passed by prostitute women working on the streets while their children played nearby. He still had three toy cars left from that day’s work. Seeing the children playing in traffic he called them over and gave away two of his cars, to keep them busy away from the road.
“It was a big part of my day’s work,” he said, “but seeing them smile gave me peace. At that time, I was not thinking about selling. I only wanted to share.”
David hopes that more people will discover his work, perhaps through the series, so that his art can reach a wider audience. He also wishes to train more young people in this craft because he sees it as a real source of employment.
His dream is for his work to be recognized and valued like other professions, and for Africa to one day establish industries capable of producing toys on a large scale, similar to countries like China. He believes this is possible with the right vision and commitment.
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