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Rana Motors, a leading auto dealership and authorised general distributors of Kia and Jeep brands of vehicles in Ghana, made history last December as it partnered with Recycled Art Creator, Nana Anoff, to mount the tallest Christmas Tree in West Africa.
Standing at a record height of 32 ft at the Rana Motors Headquarters car park, the huge Christmas Tree sparkled brightly at night when illuminated, presenting a magical atmosphere on the Graphic Road and a shining example of what could be achieved when people come together to create something beautiful and meaningful. It is one of the best examples of collective efforts in turning waste into art.
With the determination to be a part of the global recycling efforts, especially in the automotive sector, Rana Motors commissioned Nana Anoff, popularly known as the “father of recycled art forms,” to build the massive Christmas Tree made from recycled automotive materials as part of the beautiful decorations for the yuletide.
For the unique Christmas Tree, Nana gathered old passenger, truck and mining tyres of all sizes as well as used car parts, vehicle headlights and other recycled bits and pieces as he deployed his signature dexterity and creative mastery to intricately put together these waste and discarded materials to create a true work of art.
Well over 50 Goodyear, Dunlop and Triangle tyres were used, consisting of massive off-the-road mining tyres of about 6.2ft in diameter all the way to 21 inch small passenger vehicle tyres even as the structure is adorned with beautiful and aesthetically revived old vehicle parts.
The old parts include steering racks, wheels, filters, fuel & oil pumps, wiper blades, a radiator grill, suspension units, an exhaust system, electronic gadgets and as many as 20 headlamps from Kia cars.
However, powering the big tree with light became one of the biggest challenges but with local ingenuity and engineering, a specially-designed car battery-powered device became the perfect sustainable solution, making the tree versatile, practical and cost effective.
A self-taught artist who has explored charcoal, pencil, watercolor, acrylic and oil painting. In exploring these mediums, Nana created frames for his works, which then took on lives of their own by becoming the artwork.
Nana not only works with metals from automobiles, but also integrates other materials to create stories that highlight the hardworking African – a theme that runs through most of his works.
Nana had his first exhibition in 2000 and has since been exhibiting both locally in Ghana and internationally. His commissioned works are showcased in prominent spaces such as Coco lounge and Mercedes Benz Dealership (Silver Star), The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre, Centre for Democracy and Development, Standard Chartered Bank head office, and the Supreme Court of Ghana.
- To read this and other interesting stories directly from AUTO REPORT AFRICA DIGITAL, click here:AUTO REPORT AFRICA DIGITAL January 2024
