Forge Ahead

Burkinabe artist Hamed Ouattara upcycles an unlikely material to spotlight vernacular traditions

- HANNAH MARTIN

In landlocked Burkina Faso, where there is no domestic fossil fuel production, oil arrives by the truckload, leaving a wake of emptied steel barrels. Many people reuse those containers as trash cans or water storage. But Hamed Ouattara takes a different approach, transforming the industrial waste into fantastical functional sculptures. "This material reflects the economic dependency of the country and its relationship with the rest of the world," explains the Burkinabe artist. "By integrating it into my creations, I can elevate it, give it a more noble life."