Today we’d like to introduce you to Charles Oputa.
Charles, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My start was actually in Africa Nigeria. I was looking for raw materials I did not have to buy in order to create something people will actually purchase, and along it came… car tires. In Nigeria the part I lived in which was Abuja, there was trash everywhere mostly of car tires.So I decided to start using car tires to create products that I could sell to the market, whereby helping the environment while doing my parts to improve life for me, life for others, and my eco system has an environment. Trying more to associate my work as arts has been a journey because people will never know the vision sometimes, even if you tell them. But to me creating something out of nothing is art. I came from a very artistic family even my grandfather late supreme justice Oputa I would say displayed the art of being honest or the art of honesty. My father communication was his art style & my mom did more of hands-on crafts so craft arts as in craft. Outside arts I would say my career path is leading me into waste management and this is relating to car tires. I would like to create a channel where I can retrieve a certain number of tires at the beginning of the season, turn them into buyable products and sell them out, creating an up cycling environment by turning waste into reusable items… products needed by customers.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It actually hasn’t been a smooth ride for in the beginning nobody could understand what I was trying to do. They just felt I was an individual who decided to start playing with ties and turned it into a hobby. It was later on when I started using tries for events as furniture, creating a cheaper way or cheaper product that was currently on the event furniture rental market. Then people started understanding, “oh OK well I can actually make money from this”, “so he’s actually making money from this”, then things started changing a little bit for the business. So actually I used Africa Nigeria as my case study on the tire business, labor was must cheaper, mistakes could be made without heavy financial consequences and now here in Atlanta I’m ready to show people how far to waste management business can go showing them new branches in which profits can be made, while feed my creativity and artistic nature.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a Tire Artist who specializes in waste management and produces home & event type fun furniture, using up cycled materials which are mainly car tires. I am most proud of how much my business has grown, each plan coming together creating life to my work, dreams, and creativity. I think my creativity with the energy that drives me to stay on course sets me apart from others. A lot of people do what I do, but I am the only one who can do it like I can.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I currently just moved to Atlanta actually. My waves are yet to be felt in this city yet. My 1st exhibition would be at an event called Afro soca love Atlanta. Hopefully this interview follows with some pictures of my art product or rather Tire art & furniture.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kurating.com/tubber-disruptive-art-charles-oputa-furniture/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CJxOjjTHneC/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/Q59Ln6TaPek
