ABUJA, NIGERIA – Artist Abdulsalam Abdul is infusing new meaning into trash in Nigeria’s capital through his mixed-media work. Abdul collects used paper and tissue rolls in nearby markets and reworks the waste into handmade face sculptures.
Footage shows the Abuja-based artist gathering materials directly from market stalls before bringing them back to his workshop. There, he carefully cuts and shapes paper, applies adhesive, and builds intricate human faces by hand. For Abdul, sculpting heads carries deep symbolic meaning, as the human head houses “your thoughts, your dreams, your hopes, and your aspirations in life”.
The process is not without its hurdles. Gathering trash often poses challenges with access to locations and handling unhygienic waste.
“Artists must know his/her name when he/she is going to collect materials such as waste to use in his/her artwork so that they do not look intrusive in places that are alien to them,” Abdul clarified, emphasising the need to wear gloves and sanitiser.
To Abdul, art is a calling that cannot be deliberately chosen.
“You do not go to art. The art comes to you,” he added. His unique art has drawn immense public interest, and his major works now range in value from $4,798.75 to $6,132.31. He expects the value to rise as more exhibitions occur.
Abdul’s art falls under the global upcycled art movement.
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