Born at Tengenenge Farm, Dickson Phiri hails from a unique and diverse heritage. His father, Mr. Chintema Bigson, originally came from Mozambique, while his mother is from Angola.
Dickson’s educational journey began at Horse-Shoe Primary School, where he studied from 1986 to 1992, before continuing to St. Francis School in Guruve, completing his O’ Levels in 1996. Despite his academic success, economic hardships prevented him from furthering his education, as his father worked as a farm laborer. In 1997, Dickson pursued a course in salesmanship in Harare but faced difficulties securing employment, despite his strong O’ Level results.
In mid-1997, Dickson found his true calling in sculpting, encouraged by his uncle, Kavance Machire, and his father. His early works included loving birds, human figures, torsos, fish, ashtrays, and magicians—each an exploration of his growing creative talent. However, it was a recurring dream that set his artistic path in motion. For nearly two years, Dickson dreamt of sculpting elephants, a vision that continued to resonate with him.
In 1999, an opportunity arose when a client requested 5,000 different elephant sculptures for their gallery, prompting Dickson’s father to enlist his help. While his father was overwhelmed with farm work, Dickson embraced the challenge. Although he only managed to complete 42 of the 200 elephants allocated to them, his sculptures gained unexpected attention when the client failed to follow through with their order. Dickson took the opportunity to display his work at an exhibition, and within three months, all but two of the elephants sold. This success marked the beginning of his signature style—elephants, which quickly became his trademark.
Today, Dickson continues to exhibit his works at Tengenenge, with his sculptures reaching international markets. His art has been showcased in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Denmark, England, Czechoslovakia, South Africa, Sweden, the USA, Indonesia, Belgium, and South Korea.
Although his focus is primarily on elephants, Dickson still explores other themes, including magicians, and continues to evolve as an artist. With a vision for the future, Dickson looks forward to building his own family and making a sustainable living from his passion for sculpting.
