Weaving Wires that Tangle into Art

Visual artist Patience Adekunle realized that charging cable wires and other electronic waste are improperly disposed of after four years of painting with acrylic and canvas. Since asking what it would mean to turn cords and cables into art, she has been using electronic waste to create paintings and mixed-media artwork.

Tell me a little bit about yourself. 

My name is Patience Adekunle. I'm a graduate of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Oyo State, Nigeria, and I studied fine and applied arts. I'm currently practicing in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. I use electrical wires and discarded materials. I currently reside in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, where I practice and make use of electronic wires and discarded cables. I am a graduate of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, and I studied Fine and Applied Arts. 

You're a Painter by Training. How has that Impacted Your Work?

The study of Fine and Applied Arts has impacted my work by building my basic skills in art, drawing, and painting. So I've been able to acquire basic skills from studying Fine and Applied art. Delving into waste actually builds and sharpens the art style I currently do.

I know most people say that official training for a discipline takes out the passion. I've heard from writers who studied literature or mass communication; they tell me that even though you have a passion for it, it takes out "the fun" from it. So was that your experience?

 Yes, it is true because it has taken away my ability to create work, to create art, even though I have always enjoyed drawing and having all of these childhood interests. However, studying fine and applied arts fuels that passion while also expanding one's knowledge of the arts. 

Do you think it gave you an edge over people who were not trained? People who just bought acrylic paint and canvas and started painting on their own?

Maybe if they hadn't studied the street, I wouldn't criticize their effort or type of craft. However, by struggling in Fine and Applied Art, I was able to learn more about art and its history; it also allowed me to see art in a different light than most people. When it comes to academics, you may be unaware of what you know or do not know. However, when my eyes were opened to the reality of the art world, it sharpened my understanding of what art meant to me before I began studying. 

How has the journey gone so far? You trained to be an artist; I'm assuming your lecturers introduced you to mentorship, and I'm sure there were programs to help you promote your work. But how have you gone about establishing your own artistic career after graduation?

I'll admit it hasn't been easy, but it's been a worthwhile journey because I've learned new things along the way. We learned the basics of art in school. You know, when we were in school, lecturers would give us little or half of what we were supposed to learn, but I didn't let that stop me. If I'd limited myself to what we were taught in school, I might not be here today, but through self-discovery, personal study, and research, I've been able to do what I need to do in the arts. 

What was Your Initial Medium? 

I was using acrylic, and I used every color. I used to use mixed media, which included fabric, straw, jute, and many other materials. However, the stories I wanted to tell were not being told effectively with the materials I used. So delving into wire and electronic cable taught me that there are true stories to be told with materials. When I was using acrylic and oil paints, I was telling stories about my daily activities and composition, such as telling stories about my living space. 

At what Moment did You Get Restless to do More? 

I've been practicing for about seven years, but I've been experimenting with electronic devices and discarded cables for about four years. So, in preparation for the four years, I've been practicing, building, and experimenting with things to see how they fit together. I've been using electronic wires and cables for close to four years. 

You didn't really talk about the moment when you thought, 'This thing is not expressing what I want to tell.' I want to know what that moment was like. When did that moment come? What happened in that moment? And what inspired you to go for it, to move past the medium you were using at the time? You said you've been practicing with electronic waste as a medium for four years, so what changed four years ago that made you think, 'Ok, this is what I should be doing now? I should be using electronic waste.' 

As I previously stated, I've been practicing and using electronic cables for about four years, but prior to that, I used a variety of media. I worked and experimented with a variety of mixed media materials. And it's more than just mixing media; it's also the ability to transform waste into something useful. I use straws because, for example, after we finish our drinks, we tend to discard them. That was something I put into action at work. So four years ago, I realized a lot. There is still a lot of waste material outside that people aren't using. I've noticed that many people use the same materials that I do. There are a lot of textile artists; there are a lot of artists that use nylon, discarded nylon, and a lot of things. So how can I do things better? 

Looking at my immediate surroundings, for example, feels like a personal experience for me because one of my chargers was once burned. So I posted on my WhatsApp status that my charger had been burnt, but people's reactions were awkward, so I thought, What if this charger is getting spoilt all the time?

And I noticed that the experience that I had is shared by many others. iPhone users, in particular, have a habit of changing their chargers and replacing them on a regular basis. So, what do we do with the one we discard? What should I do with a cord that no longer works? How can I turn it into a story?

So, from there, through personal experience, experimentation, and a desire to do more in terms of sustainable art. So I started experimenting with chargers and cords. That's why I began sourcing materials from what I already had. So I started keeping all of my cords to see what I could get out of them. I told my friends to get some chargers and wires that they weren't using anymore because I needed to work with them. So, from there, it was a gradual process. It was a gradual process, not something that happened all at once. 

Have you been approached by anyone, such as NGOs, to collaborate with you on how to process, say, a large amount of electric waste? 

Yes, I've recently been approached by individuals and organisations who are interested in what I do. But when I first started, the response was not very positive because I was asking people around for materials that I needed to use, asking electricians to give me wires that they weren't using anymore, and all the people who sell gadgets would say, 'What do you want to use it for?' I'd have to show and explain to them, like a child, what I'm going to use it for.

At the end of the day, some people will refuse to give simply because they are uncomfortable doing so. But in recent times people have been supporting me with those materials. Even people from different cities—if I go to institutions, people come, and they bring along chargers, cables, and wires for me. So in recent times it's been a really good response from people and the community. 

I know that now you've talked about getting pushback from the electricians and people regarding collecting the waste, but have you gotten pushback from the art community regarding your medium? Have you gotten any negative comments regarding your art? 

 Yes, sometimes, because some people don't feel connected to my work because they feel using wire to create an artwork caused all we know is colour paint, acrylic, and oil color. Some people will even tell me they don't like my artwork, so I've gotten negative comments but I didn't allow that to stop me. If I wanted to stop because of people's comments, I'd have stopped a long time ago. 

So it's not something you've just started encountering?

 No, this is not a new experience for me. In fact, every now and then, I hear from artists, non-artists, and people who simply enjoy my art and want to own it. They'll say things like, "Ah shebi, you're just picking wire on the ground, why are you selling your work for that amount?" and other aggressive remarks. It's been a long time since I've received negative comments, but one thing I've noticed is that, despite receiving negative comments, I still see people who support me and give me positive comments, which is exactly what I needed. 

I know you said you worked with a lot of mixed media. Is it the most difficult thing to work with, has it been the most difficult medium to work with, or have you worked with more difficult media? 

 I believe every medium has its own challenges and every material has its own language, so for the fact that I work with a lot of mix media, I won't really say this one is stressful, and I will not say it's not stressful because when I started I was not paying attention to the languages of these materials, but later I understood the language of the wires I work with. 

What qualities would you say that you've learned from working with it? Because I know you mentioned patience and adaptability, so has there been any other quality that you've developed or any other skills that you've developed?

 For my artwork anndthe materials that I use, it champions resilience and strength of African communities. So personally as an artist working with those wires, I've learnt patience I've learnt adaptability, I've learnt to be calm enough to study the materials I want to make use of. In fact I've had a lot of qualities from the materials I've worked with which I can't even remember. 

Do you see yourself using this medium till the end of your career, or do you think that you'll switch to another form?

I don't see myself stopping. Maybe if there's no wire in the earth again. I don't see myself stopping, but I see myself evolving when it comes to making use of the wires and also incorporating some other things that people are not paying attention to. So maybe it will get to a time that I will evolve and add some other element that is also wasted that I see that people are not using, but I don't see myself stopping when it comes to using wires.