Too Good to Waste

The works in the York Vitrines were selected in relation to the exhibition in the FOFA Gallery’s Main Space, expanding upon its themes of labour, material care, reuse, and sustainability. Artists Adam Basanta, Ari Bayuaji, Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka, and Kelly Jazvac all use repurposed materials or scraps, resourcefully transforming these into artworks that find new ways to value what is usually considered waste. Using hands-on processes that require a deep engagement with their specific materials, these works draw attention to items that might otherwise be overlooked or discarded. Each of the works presented here intervenes at a distinct moment into the usual cycle of production-consumption-disposal, rethinking the idea that anything can be thrown “away.”

In a statement about her practice, Hatanaka cites the Japanese concept of mottainai or “too good to waste,” to describe how she saves scraps for inclusion in future works. This view towards the future, combined with an acknowledgement of the intrinsic value of even the smallest leftover pieces, offers a powerful framework for rethinking the very concept of waste. Like the works presented here, it asks us to think more carefully and more creatively about the materials that surround us, alongside the urgent need to reconsider how we interact with the systems and resources upon which we rely. 

- Nicole Burisch