Nepalese craftsmen convert Mt.Everest trash into art

Kathmandu : Nepalese artists have converted eight tones of litter left on Mount Everest into 75 works of art..The group of 15 artists turned the trash, including the remains of a helicopter, into works of art and sculpture to highlight the issue of littering on the Everest.
It took 65 porters and 75 yaks to carry down the rubbish from the mountain over two Spring expeditions.
The exhibition of 75 pieces commissioned for the ‘Everest 8848 Art Project’ is on display in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu before it moves to Pokhara next week, the Telegraph reports.
“We thought that this would help promote the artists as well as contribute to making Everest clean. We were happy to get the trash and (the waste collectors) were happy to get rid of it,” project organiser Kripa Rana Shahi said.
In one of the works, by painter and poet Sunita Rana, white shards of aluminum from cans have been turned into medals signifying the bravery of mountaineers, while black metal tent poles have been transformed into a wind chime, the report said.
In another art piece, remains of a helicopter which crashed in 1974, while carrying food for Italian climbers, have been incorporated into an idol of the Hindu God Ganesh.The artworks range in price from 12 to 150,000 pounds, and several pieces have already been sold.
“As the word on the Everest garbage spread, it tarnished the image of our country. I was saddened when the foreigners talked about Everest as if it were a dumping site,” Everest Summiteers Association president Wongchu Sherpa said. – ANI