A LIGHT-HEARTED show featuring everyday trash that has been turned into quirky artwork has been putting a smile on the faces of visitors to a west Suffolk gallery.

The Upcycling exhibition, at Gallery 47 in Sudbury, explores the need to recycle and re-use to help the environment. But it also proves that during tough economic times, you don’t have to spend a fortune to obtain a unique piece of art.

Items on show at the Gainsborough Street gallery until August 14 include crazy candlesticks made from pieced together crockery sourced at a car boot sale, and a mirror created from an old toilet seat.

Jane Ford, who runs the gallery with Moira Fraser Steele, said: “We hold regular shows featuring the work of local artists, but at the moment, not many people can afford to spend much on artwork.

“I think the art world is getting a bit disheartened because we are not selling anything, so we wanted to do a show that was a bit of fun. The intention is not to sell but to give people something to smile about.”

She added: “We chose the recycling theme because everyone is interested in it, and we wanted to show that it is possible to make art out of all sorts of items that people usually throw away.”

Among the discarded objects that have found new life at the hands of talented artists including Nuala Garnsey, are old magazines re-used in decoupage, and even paintings that haven’t sold which have been ripped up, and rearranged to form new collaged images. Jane added: “I think people are amused but at the same time inspired by what you can do with rubbish.”