Sanaa Gateja's atelier in Kampala is built on a single unique material: recycled paper hand rolled into beads and stitched onto bark cloth, which was traditionally used in Uganda as burial cloth that pre-dates woven fabric. While Sanaa cuts the paper, a community of six women in the village roll the beads, which are then treated with varnish and glue to harden. The result is a deeply collaborative practice, rooted in respect for the environment and the African tradition of valuing what others discard.

Sanaa calls his method 'unit construction': one bead, one unit, one repeated act of creation. Pigments are extracted from plants and trees, such as turmeric, bark and local species that yield yellow, orange, purple and black. These natural materials are supplemented with acrylic paint. "Yesterday's mistake becomes today's gem, a discarded material becomes the foundation of a new art form," Sanaa says. The transfer of skills is central to the atelier's identity as the workshop allows community members to work with a unique technique and carry forward an ancient tradition in a new light.