Bulawayo artist turns discarded glass into eco-friendly masterpieces

Sharon Muchara

In Bulawayo, 30-year-old artist Mandisa Nozinhle Nyoni is proving that one person’s trash is another’s artistic treasure and a tool for climate action. What most people discard without a second thought, Mandisa transforms into intricate works of art.

By meticulously collecting broken bottles and shattered windowpanes, she has not only built a growing career but is also quietly tackling one of Zimbabwe’s persistent environmental challenges, glass waste.

Her journey began in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown, a period of global uncertainty that sparked unexpected creativity. “I started creating upcycled glass art in 2020 during the COVID lockdown,” Mandisa says. A Pinterest image of a ballerina made from broken mirrors provided the inspiration that pushed her to experiment with something new.

Zimbabwe generates significant solid waste, and glass which does not biodegrade. Glass waste remains one of the most problematic materials to manage. Mandisa’s work offers a small but meaningful intervention. Every month she collects around 50 discarded bottles and up to 30 window cut-offs from around her community. She cleans, cuts, shapes, and assembles them into detailed wildlife portraits, abstract designs, and increasingly, human figures.

“It can be broken windows, beer bottles, broken water glasses, that is what I use,” she explains. Her process is meticulous and, at times, risky. “My first attempts were not easy; I would cut myself here and there. But now I have improved, learning new techniques with each piece.”

For Mandisa, the act of collecting is just as important as the final artwork. “Picking up bottles and glasses from the streets is also my way of contributing to a clean, healthy environment,” she says. By removing waste from public spaces, she plays a part in reducing pollution and raising awareness about responsible disposal.

Mandisa’s love for art stretches back to childhood  she began drawing at the age of five. But upcycled glass art opened new creative horizons. “I have always loved art,” she says, “and this medium is something fresh compared to the usual canvas or sculpting.”

Wildlife remains her biggest creative muse. “I love wildlife animals, so they inspire most of my creations,” she says. But recently, she has begun venturing into portraiture. “I am now interested in making people portraits, trying to capture human expressions and emotions.”

The reaction from the public has been overwhelmingly positive. “Seeing people’s amazement when they see my work for the first time and them being shocked that it’s glass,” she says, is one of her greatest motivations.

Since she began, Mandisa has sold more than 100 pieces, mostly to art lovers who appreciate authenticity and environmental consciousness. “My customers are people who love art… people who are eco-conscious,” she notes. She markets her work through Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp, building a growing digital presence.

Her success highlights the economic potential tied to waste a message she hopes young people will embrace. “The youth can use waste, which is easily accessible from anywhere, to make art… They can create for themselves a source of income,” she says.

Through her work, she has seen people’s perceptions shift. “Through my work people now see the different possibilities of waste,” she notes, although she still collects all her materials herself.

As climate change intensifies local challenges, from extreme heat to shifting rainfall patterns, Mandisa believes communities must step forward. “We all have a role in saving our planet,” she emphasizes.

Her hopes for the future reach far beyond her studio. “I would love to see a cleaner Zimbabwe, a country whose people hate littering and are eco-conscious,” she says. She wants young people to recognize opportunity in the things society throws away. “It does not necessarily have to be art, it can be anything, from bags to shoes to accessories or clothing. The possibilities are endless.”

Through her glass art, Mandisa is not only creating beauty from waste she is demonstrating how small, local actions can also contribute to a cleaner environment, spark new livelihoods, and inspire a culture of environmental responsibility.