How Warembo Wasanii is turning trash into treasure

Situated just outside of Kenya’s capital Nairobi is an informal settlement called Korogocho. Named after the Swahili term for 'crowded shoulder to shoulder', the 1.5-square-kilometre patch of land somehow squeezes in nearly 200,000 inhabitants. One of them is Joan Otieno who, despite her densely packed surroundings, is carving out space for creativity – she is the founder of Warembo Wasanii, a female-only art studio that makes use of materials gathered from landfills in the nearby suburbs of Dandora and Kariobangi. From bottle caps and toothpaste tubes, to yoghurt pots and diaper boxes, the women take pieces of trash and transform them into extravagant artworks, including wearable sculptures that are almost couture-like in their construction.

Warembo Wasanii’s work helps recover the landscape surrounding Korogocho, but it also helps build a deeper sense of sisterhood in the settlement, too – the studio has become a community refuge where women can freely express themselves and, most importantly, connect over personal experience. 'When women come together, great things happen,' says Oteino. 'I wouldn't compete with another woman, I would only want to learn from her. Then she can learn from me, and we make the world a better place – I believe in women.'

For Oteino, even the process of collecting waste refuge can be a bonding experience. 'Normally, when we go to the dump site, it's never about each person,' she explains. 'We go to get anything that we need at the studio space, anything people think they want to use, even if they don't want to use it at that time… no one says "This is mine".'

Each piece made in the studio is typically showcased in the on-site gallery and then put up for sale in its shop, allowing the makers to gain greater financial independence. This week, however, their work will take to a larger stage; as part of London Design Festival, Warembo Wasanii has collaborated with photographer Kristin Lee-Moolman, stylist Louise Ford, Yann Turchi and curators Sophie Strobele and Emmanuelle Atlan to create an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum titled Mokoro (or ‘mother’ in Sheng, a slang native to Kenya). Through a mix of sculptures, images and videos, the show will explore how the studio is reimagining up-cycled fashion and design – it's not to be missed.

Until 25 September at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London