During an ‘Art out of waste’ workshop organised at Chennai Rail Museum
When visitors see installations born out of trash they have thrown, they would be struck with awe and shame. That thinking has been motivating 75-year-old S.V. Kumar to give waste new life in the form of art.
His latest work, a 12-feet replica of the India Gate in New Delhi is on display at the Chennai Rail Museum in Perambur. Used paper cups, paper plates, plastic bottles, gift wrappers and plywoods pieces, all collected from the museum campus, went into making this installation.
This 12-feet replica of the India Gate was made with waste items, all collected from the museum campus
Kumar along with a team of 25 people worked on this project before Independence Day. “Before starting the exercise, when I surveyed the campus for unwanted items, I asked the museum staff not to send away garbage from the 10 dustbins. These were then sorted, some had to be washed and painted to give it a new lease of life,” says Kumar, a resident of Villivakkam.
More than 20 kilos of waste went into making the India Gate. Plastic bottles that once contained energy drinks were used to make the flag, water bottles were used as the entrance to the garden and the cups were sorted into various colours.
The museum on an average receives 10,000 visitors a month, a bulk of them being school students who come on an educational visit. Kumar says he generally does not take any money from institutions as this cause is important for him but he pays his team member their daily wages.
U. Subba Rao, ICF General Manager, honours S.V. Kumar (extreme right)
A graduate of the Government College of Fine Arts, Kumar retired as art teacher from NKT National Boys High School in Triplicane after close to four decades of service. He was always fascinated with unwanted items. “Once I spotted some old wood pieces on the road I assembled them to make them a work of art,” says the teacher who is a resource person for art and craft with various institutions.
Post-retirement, he has done close to 64 projects including a 100 ft. Christmas tree, a representation of Lord Vinayaka and a 36-feet dinosaur. “Hyundai has been a well wisher, they have allowed me to take automobile scrap from their plant for my creative projects,” says Kumar, who has a mention in the Limca Book of Records.
The scrap materials are generally stored in a neighbourhood park so that nobody is inconvenienced, he says.
The average life span of these installations is six to eight months after which they die a natural death. “They ultimately end up in the landfill but there is a special joy when you are able to recycle or increase the lifespan of an item you have discarded,” he says.
The septuagenarian, who is a treasurer of SIDCO Nagar Residents Welfare Association, is also offering free classes to youth who have completed Bachelor in Fine Arts or Master in Fine Arts but are without a job.
For details, call 9840478392.
Published – October 11, 2025 09:07 pm IST
