By Shamsiya Hussainpoor
The Aerie Gallery in Upwey’s Burrinja Cultural Centre is coming alive this October with ‘Waste to Wonder’ – an innovative art exhibition showcasing the talents of local artists Natasja van Wyk and Macarena Ocea, their work beautifully blends sustainability with creativity.
Artists Natasja Van Wyk and Macarena Ocea have repurposed everyday waste materials, such as plastic netting from oranges and onions, into striking artworks that highlight urgent social, environmental, and personal themes.
Their journey into up-cycling began when they discovered that the plastic netting used to package common groceries like oranges and onions is not recyclable—not even through soft plastics recycling and much worse, if mistakenly placed in a recycling bin, these nets can contaminate an entire batch of recyclables, sending the whole lot to landfill.
Determined to tackle this issue, the artists began experimenting with ways to repurpose the netting into art, turning what was once waste into something meaningful and beautiful.
“As artists and creatives, we believe it’s essential for people to learn how to manage waste more effectively, we have the ability to transform this issue into something positive and change the narrative around waste – both of us are textile artists, and we’re acutely aware of the environmental impact of textiles, especially given the rise of fast fashion and rapid industry changes,” Ms Ocea said.
“We’re committed to being more mindful in our practices and hope to inspire the community to rethink waste management – through our workshops, we aim to provide ideas and solutions for a more sustainable future.”
“We hope to inspire others to think creatively about reusing materials instead of simply discarding plastics in landfills.”
Ms Ocea, originally from Chile, has witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of the fast fashion industry, particularly the waste being dumped in areas like San Pedro de Atacama.
“It’s harming our natural landscapes, as an artist in Australia, one of the world’s largest consumers of fast fashion, I feel a strong responsibility to forge new paths in my own creative practice and challenge conventional patterns,” the artist said.
They source their materials from Ferny Creek’s The Philanthropic Collective as well as from the community, who drop off items at Burrinja, their collection point – they have been gathering these materials for nearly a year now.
Artist Natasja Van Wyk said they have already received plenty of art materials and are not seeking further donations, instead, they invite the public to come and see what they’ve created with the recycled materials and hope to inspire others to do the same.
“We are happy for people to bring in netting, our main aim is to raise community awareness and we also want to hold corporates accountable – to take ownership of the fact that they’re using materials that can’t be disposed of properly,” Ms Van Wyk said.
“To the big grocery chains, we see the responsibility you’re placing on the public to manage plastic waste, but it’s time to acknowledge that much of this waste, like the plastic netting around your produce, isn’t easily recyclable. While individuals do their best, many of these materials end up contaminating entire bins, contributing to landfill rather than recycling efforts.”
“We invite you to Waste to Wonder to see firsthand what two artists can achieve by transforming your unrecyclable plastics into art. If two people can turn waste into something beautiful, why can’t you rethink your packaging and take meaningful action to reduce the waste in the first place? It’s time for corporate giants to stop passing the buck and start leading the change. Join us in finding creative solutions for a greener future.”
Prior to the opening of their exhibition on 19 October at 2pm, the artists are offering free public workshops over two days on the 12 and 13 October – these workshops will introduce attendees to their techniques, including punch needle embroidery, quilting, and creative up-cycling.
Participants will also have the chance to learn how everyday waste materials, like the infamous plastic netting, can be repurposed into something valuable and inspiring.
“Please come to our exhibition to see what we’ve created and we hope to raise awareness and inspire you – we’re not hiding our techniques or keeping them secret; we want to show everyone exactly what we’re doing in the hopes that they will build on it and make it even better,” Ms Van Wyk said.
