From bejeweled treasure chests, crowns, bottles and more. A treasure trove of recycled artwork is on display at the caha gallery in Hagatna.

CAHA Artist Elizabeth Abuan takes old or discarded materials and upcycles them to one of a kind pieces of art. 

“They are all recycled items found in our homes, beaches and offices– thrown away when we intend to clean our surroundings. When we have really clean surroundings, we see things in a much better way and with clarity. It makes sense,” said Abuan. 

For instance, her vibrant treasure chests are made from scratch, using discarded egg cartons, glue and cardboard. 

“They are created through a process where you compact them into different segments of glue and paperwork, until you finally create a level-like surface like a wood type of material,” added Abuan. 

Fabric sourced from the closets of catholic social services are stitched into a colorful heart collage. Plus donated bottles from Winchell’s are transformed with gems, sequins, and Mardi Gra beads.

“That makes it vibrant and brilliant, so you don’t want to throw the bottleworks away. Whether they are small size, medium size or large size bottle artwork, it’s really the importance of recycling,” said Abuan. 

And Abuan shares the art of recycling. She often holds hands-on workshops for undeserved individuals, sharing how to take another man’s trash and turn them into treasure. 

“Not only are we cleaning up our space, we are creating something beneficial that could probably create skills and talents for individuals looking for a small business or something for them to sell,” said Abuan. 

The community has until July 3 to catch the display of recycled artwork at the CAHA gallery.

The exhibit will close out with a reception on Thursday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.