From discarded to dazzling, an upcycling challenge
- Obert works with reclaimed plumbing and refrigerator parts
- He is inspired by the natural world and his Tonga culture
- Social impact and raising conservation awareness is a key feature of his work
Obert Monga creates objects that have a positive impact on the world. He specialises in micro mosaic jewellery. To achieve this, Obert combines his self-taught technique with the silversmithing skills from his three-year apprenticeship at Ndau Collection in Victoria Falls, where he opened his workshop in 2010. Working in a remote town, traditional supplies are hard to come by, so Obert recycles unwanted hardware metals, repurposes harmful snare wire, and sources materials like gemstones, shells, and ostrich egg shells from the natural world. Through his craft he is contributing to local conservation efforts. “This work is important to me because whenever I find or collect scraps of material, I can bring them to life again. And in so doing, I am helping to clean our environment. The little that I do makes a big difference.”
Interview
- Do you remember when you first thought of picking up this craft?
- It was when I saw some broken pottery lying on the ground and thought to myself how sad to lose the beauty and potential income from something just because it broke, so I transformed the pieces into a decorative paving slab, discovering the art of mosaic.
- How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?
- Using my Tonga heritage, I rework traditional concepts using unconventional modern materials, such as plumbing supplies, refrigerator parts and other found materials. I have also replaced the traditional use of animal ivory with vegetable ivory (the tagua nut from the ilala palm).
- How are you using your work to make a difference?
- I live in a tourist town where nature conservation is important. I create jewellery using snare wire from the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit. Snare wire is used to trap animals, and the Unit removes the wire from the bush and gives it to us artisans to do something positive for the environment.
- What are you doing to help preserve your craft?
- As far as I am aware, I am the only micro mosaic artisan in the country, so I want others to know about the craft. I am trying, by all means, to teach others by training apprentices, running community self-empowerment projects, and hosting classes for school kids.
Obert Monga is a master artisan: he began his career in 2002 and he started teaching in 2008
Works
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Obert Monga
