TIPs Forum: An Interview with Vas Putter

An artist, philanthropist, and avid upcycling and vintage enthusiast, Vas Putter is the founder and curator at Planet Art People Pty Ltd. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Durban-Westville (now UKZN), Vas began tutoring first-year Fine Art students in History of Art and Theory of Art. In 1994/95, she contributed to the Peace and Reconciliation through Art mural project across KZN during the Truth and Reconciliation Talks, which led to a career as a full-time muralist, display artist, chillout DJ, and event organizer.

In 2009, Vas became a dedicated volunteer for people living with disabilities, earning The National Tribune Award for Women in the Disability Sector in 2011. Motivated by social and environmental concerns surrounding unethical production and recycling practices, Vas launched various upcycling initiatives and eco-tourism ventures within her community in 2020, promoting sustainability and eco-conscious consumerism. In 2022, she was the runner-up in the UN Women and Climate “She Reigns Tech Award.”

One of her most recent projects was for the Annual Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies Forum in Pretoria, where she crafted table centerpieces entirely out of discarded materials. Each piece tells a story about barriers faced by marginalized entrepreneurs in the green economy landscape.

Hosted by TIPS Communications Officer Nondwe Majundana. Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) is an independent, non-profit, economic research institution established in 1996 to support economic policy development. TIPS undertakes quantitative and qualitative research, project management, dialogue facilitation, capacity building and knowledge sharing. Its two areas of focus are trade and inclusive industrial policy; and sustainable development.