In a studio in Lagos, Nigeria an angel waits patiently as a team of artists work to get her ready for her portrait.
The “angel” and her stylists are all being guided by 27-year-old artist, Abdulrasaq Babalola.
Babalola specialises in concept images that he hopes will provoke thoughts and discussions about environmental concerns.
''I just want the government to understand the message that I am trying to pass which is that plastic is actually beautiful, but at the same time plastic pollution is dangerous, like dangerous to humans and dangerous to our aquatic animals. So
I'll really implore our government to work on this and tackle this immediately because if we look at other countries...even in Africa, I think plastics are already being banned,'' Babalola said.
Babalola says he conceived of the installation and series of portraits two years ago, but was unable to execute it due to the coronavirus outbreak and lockdowns that followed.
When restrictions were lifted, it took him and his team two days to gather over 5,000 discarded plastic bottles. They spent another two days washing them.
The bottles are then glued onto boards shaped like angels’ wings. A hole is drilled into the PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles, so that small light bulbs can be placed within.
At the feet of the winged model, Babolola has placed several models in a heap. They represent fish dying in a waste-filled ocean.
''If you look at the angel behind me right there, you will see that the wings are the ones illuminating the angel while she is on oxygen mask. The wings serve as her beauty, like they are useful to her which is illuminating her and at the same time it is harming her which is the oxygen mask that she is putting on,'' he explained.
Plastic waste, in the form of discarded bags, food and drink packaging, is ubiquitous in Lagos, a city of 20 million people.
Babalola hopes his art will boost efforts to educate people about the dangers plastic waste poses to the environment and ultimately provoke positive change.
''There can never be too much awareness on plastic pollution and I hope to be part of the solution and I hope when people see these works when it launches, people will know that this is human invention that is intentional, so we can retrace our steps because this is affecting our environment, our marine animals and so we can tackle this in time before it gets too late,” he said.
The waterways of Babalola’s home city lead into the Gulf of Guinea, raising concerns about the amount of plastic entering the sea.
