Summary
Stary Mwaba, a visual artist from Zambia, uses his artwork to highlight the lives of young people mining dangerous waste heaps known as "black mountains" in the Copperbelt region. These heaps are remnants of a century of industrial mining, and young people search for valuable copper ore amidst hazardous conditions, as it's often their only way to earn money. Mwaba's art, showcased at the Lusaka National Museum, brings attention to their stories and the environmental impact of mining waste.
Key Facts
- The "black mountains" are huge piles of mining waste in Zambia's Copperbelt region.
- Young men search these waste heaps for copper ore, which can be dangerous and sometimes illegal.
- Stary Mwaba, a Zambian artist, paints portraits using old newspapers to tell the miners' stories.
- His artwork aims to show the importance of the miners' personal stories amid larger news narratives.
- These mining activities continue despite environmental damage and risks to health.
- Earlier in the year, a spill from a copper mine contaminated the water supply for Kitwe, a city of 700,000 people.
- Mwaba's art exhibition is currently on display at the Lusaka National Museum.
- The mining waste contains toxic heavy metals, which harm both people and the environment.
