Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist and celebrated Welsh artist Nathan Wyburn has created a self-portrait from used cigarette butts collected from a litter pick by pupils from South Wales.
Nathan, 26, from Ebbw Vale, first rose to fame as a semi-finalist on Britain’s Got Talent where he created a portrait
of judge and comedian Michael McIntyre using marmite on toast.
Since then, he was created numerous artworks using unconventional materials including a Margaret Thatcher made from coal and Welsh rugby star Adam Jones using mud.
Created to celebrate tobacco control charity ASH Wales’s 40th birthday, the portrait’s unusual material came from used cigarette butts which had been collected by school children from Ysgol Y Ddriag, Llantwit Major. In just one hour of litter picking, the children collected around 200 dirty butts.
Nathan’s work for ASH Wales is a far cry aesthetically from the portraits he’s presented previously and this latest piece took 6 hours to create.
“I decided to help support ASH Wales because I strongly believe that anywhere that children play should be a smoking free zone. Whether it’s beaches, play areas, sports grounds and most importantly school gates.”
“The amount of cigarette butts the young volunteers collected for me from Barry beach last week is quite frankly horrifying and just cements my support and feelings even more. I have a young sister and young nieces and nephews in my family and I don’t want them growing up in such unhealthy environments.”
In reference to his work, he continued, “I know it’s unattractive, in fact it’s gross, I really wanted it to be, it needs to be.”
Chief Executive of ASH Wales, Suzanne Cass, said; “It’s fantastic to able to today celebrate ASH Wales’ monumental successes over the past 40 years. Thanks to the organisation, more Welsh people are healthier, happier and living longer without the tragic and often catastrophic harm smoking causes to individuals and families. A testament to our work would be for ASH Wales to no longer exist in another 40 years!”
“Nathan’s awesome yet gruesome artwork shows the true impact smoking has, not only on our environment but on us as individuals. Every single one of those butts was collected by children from their local beach – a place where they should feel free to enjoy away from contaminated smoking materials and poisonous smoke itself.”
