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In the Studio: Serge Attukwei Clottey - making art from Ghana’s plastic waste

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Serge Attukwei Clottey - making art from Ghana’s plastic waste

29/05/2018 GMT

BBC World Service - In the Studio, Serge Attukwei Clottey - making art from Ghana’s plastic waste

Using plastic containers to create a major sculpture for Facebook’s HQ in San Francisco

In his studio in Accra, Ghanaian artist Serge uses plastic containers to create a major sculpture for Facebook’s headquarters in San Francisco.

Serge Attukwei Clottey is one of Ghana’s leading artistic figures, renowned for his outsize sculptures and paintings. During the last few months he’s been working on a commission for the social media giant Facebook. The piece is a huge tapestry which will hang in the company’s new headquarters in San Francisco. 

But the tapestry won’t be made of cotton or thread – instead, like many of Serge’s works, it will be made from the distinctive yellow gallons, or jerry cans, plastic containers which were originally brought to Ghana containing cooking oil, but have now become a huge environmental waste problem. Serge collects old gallons and along with his team, cuts them into squares and weaves them together to make artworks. 

Sammy Darko follows Serge through Accra, from the relative quiet of his studio, to his busy workshop and the bustling streets of the La district. Serge collects the raw materials and with the help of the local community, puts the finishing touches to the piece. 

Producers: Caroline Steel and Emma Kingsley

(Photo: Artist Serge Attukwei Clottey)

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