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The huge elephant would normally be perfectly at home in western Uganda - except this elephant is made of reclaimed metal. The 3.5-ton sculpture is the work of Reagan Kandole, a native of Uganda and Ph.D. student at the IU School of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø.

Kandole is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in the Arts ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø program. His research focuses on community engagement and activism through the arts, particularly how arts-based interventions can encourage community participation, address social and environmental issues, and contribute to meaningful social change. Through his studies, he explores areas such as community-based art education, creative activism, social justice, curriculum development, and contemporary approaches to teaching and learning through the arts. 

“I am especially interested in understanding how art can create safe and inclusive spaces where young people and communities can experiment, express themselves, collaborate, and develop creative responses to issues affecting their lives,” Kandole added.

It was that interest that led Kandole to create , a waste management education project that engages the youth and the community in handling waste. He plans to use what he learns in the doctoral program to strengthen his work with ECOaction by developing sustainable community-based projects and building stronger connections between academic institutions and local communities. 

He also uses his art to create sculptures from materials that would have otherwise gone to waste. Working primarily with reclaimed metal, discarded plastics, and other found items, Kandole transforms waste into large-scale installations and public artworks that challenge systems of consumption, environmental neglect, and social inequality. Installations such as Mother Earth is Speaking, Tree of Life, and Beyond Trash examine climate justice, consumer culture, and the invisible systems that shape everyday life.

Kandole even created a that was displayed in the U.S. Embassy in Uganda in honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 

Ultimately, Kandole hopes to mobilize resources and expand sustainable waste-management initiatives in Uganda: “My long-term vision is to help create cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable communities while demonstrating the important role that art and education can play in achieving that transformation.”