(CNN) -- Ever since he was a young boy, Kenyan artist Cyrus Kabiru has envisaged breathing new life into his surroundings. "When I woke up every morning, the first thing I'd see was trash," recalls Kabiru, whose childhood home faced a garbage heap where all of Nairobi's waste was dumped. "I used to say to my dad that when I grow up, I want to give trash a second chance." And that's exactly what he went on to do. A self-taught sculptor and painter, Kabiru is crafting visually striking artworks from abandoned refuse he collects from the streets of the Kenyan capital.
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Cyrus Kabiru is a Kenyan self-taught sculptor and painter
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He crafts artworks from found objects he collects in the streets of Nairobi
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He is best known for his series of eye-catching handmade spectacles
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Kabiru has been invited to speak at TED2013 conference and has shown his work around the world
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When he's not crafting compelling artwork in his studio, or scouring the streets for materials, Kabiru is visiting rural communities in @placeholder as part of his "Outreach" initiative, aimed at encouraging creativity and raising awareness about ecological issues in his country.