An artisan in Vanderbjilpark turns empty bottles into beautiful things. Fuelled by a love of upcycling and innovation, his dreams are playing a creative role in environmental goodness!
Vanderbijlpark, South Africa (29 November 2024) — There’s a man in Vanderbijlpark who turns empty bottles into beautiful things.
Known as Jakkalas Monyamane or Daniel, the crafter meticulously gives the bottles he collects a second chance to be loved beyond their contents. By upcycling them using wool and vibrant colours, Jakkalas turns them into distinctive pieces of decor that many eagerly welcome into their homes.
It’s not just a creative gig. It’s an act of love for the environment and a labour of encouragement that hopes we’ll all perceive waste differently.
Jakkalas is a self-taught artisan. As a librarian at the North West University’s Vanderbijlpark campus, he found himself enamoured with art books, which soon led him to envision what could be done creatively with bottles. Then, in the late 2010s, it was a YouTube video that took his bottle art forward into all new spheres of creativity, spheres that today have seen him earn awards, feature at massive design events and make a name for himself as an artisan to watch.
The process is slow-made, and small-batch-focused. But, the fulfilment each finished product brings is worth more than any bottle can hold!
Keeping up with his socials, you won’t just see wool-rich bottle works where empty bottles of champagne or gin once stood, dismissed. You’ll see a person impressively passionate about making resources go the distance and pages filled with quotes about art, recycling and heritage, true to the literary lover’s work.
As his design orders continue to flow in and his work inspires more people, Jakkalas reminds us that sometimes what’s in our homes can largely benefit what’s outside of them, too.
You can keep up with Jakkalas here.
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