African art painting has taken a new turn in creativity, finding beauty in unusual things, by using natural items to create unique works of art.

This can be said for the Sudanese artist, Mutaz Al-Fateh, who uses natural materials such as the pigments and extracts from coffee grounds, tea leaves, and shavings of fruit peels to create a vibrant piece of arts.

"I have a special vision for arts," Fateh said. "I am specially interested in natural materials as futuristic environmental substances" He stressed.

Fateh's paintings depict the everyday life of Sudanese men and women in traditional attire, as well as varieties of African abstract drawings. 

The 39-year-old natural artist uses the extract of peels from doum (palm tree), bulbous (baobab tree), and lalob (fruit) as colors for his art. Fateh believes that many people only see these items as food products for consumption but when used artistically and professionally, they can be used to create amazing works of art.

"To others, they are food products but in reality they are colors." He said. "If and when used in the right and professional way can give positive energy and color"

Fateh Made it known that he has been training people for years on how to extract natural colors and also how to make natural colors by themselves. He also spoke about the availability of natural materials. "The materials are widely available in Sudan but people don't know its secrets so when they sit around in a setting where they can learn about it they become more inspired"

According to him, these products are environmental and budget-friendly. "The natural materials I use are very cheap," he said. "They are widely available in the market. Some could even be acquired for free."

Elsewhere, African artists revamped coconut shells into arts and crafts in Nigeria. In an exhibition titled "Wealth to waste" the artists displayed their artistic abilities by using coconut shells as murals for their paintings and sculpture works. These shells are revamped and sculpted into beautiful homemade items such as spoons, jugs, plates, and even sculpted wall clocks for home and office use.