I made my sculpture to inspire people - Eliagu

BY DOYIN ADEOYE
ALTHOUGH the sculpture ‘Your Destiny is in Your Hands,’ was made in 2013, it became social media frenzy last week when the originator, Eluagu Williams uploaded the night view on his Facebook wall.
Made from pet bottles, Eluagu constructed the 13.6feet structure, which he said was birthed out of his desire to inspire people, as well as make something worthwhile out of waste.

Speaking with Ecoroom, Eluagu, who is a graduate of the Department of Fine Art, Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) said: "I did it as a final year project in 2013 and it was mounted in January 2014. Although I majored in Sculpture, it was a risk doing the artwork because it wasn’t as if there was a prototype to follow, but I wanted to do something unique, as well as inspire people with the sculpture.
"I worked with pet bottles, which many people throw away and feel that it is just waste. I basically just wanted to turn something people feel is useless to something useful. The name of the artwork ‘Your Destiny is in Your Hands,’ is to inspire people in Nigeria and the world at large.
"This is a trying time for many people, considering the challenges many people and nations are facing today. So I wanted to inspire people that no matter what happen, their destiny is in their hands and they can strive to rise above it and use those challenges as stepping stones to greatness," he said.
A unique way of recycling waste, the major material used in the construction were used pet bottles Eliagu said he picked around.

So not only did the sculpture beautify the environment, it also aided keeping the planet save and clean.
 Taking about 90 days to complete, Eliagu said the gesture of the hands in the sculpture, which appears shaky, shows that in the course of life, we go through challenges to get to the point we want.
A true talent, he is also into wood carving and clay modelling.
On his message to other young talents out there, he said: "They need to be humble and be close to God, no matter their religion, because spirituality is key for any creative person."