My Story
The Heart of Art
These are the words of Frederic Phiri, a 24 year old scrap metal artist from Mfuwe. Often described as the Junk King, Frederick is growing to be a household name both in Zambia and the world at large. He calls his work ‘The heart of Art’, and believes that his pieces are not only beautiful, but also contribute to environmental awareness.‘I go around picking all sorts of junk in my community. I usually get calls to pick up scrap metal from different locations. I feel proud moving around my community, because many children see me and know that I am going to make something extraordinary.’ From a young age, Frederick was interested in making art, but economic challenges at home forced him to find work at a very young age.
His artistic journey started by making small wire cars, but his passion was realized during a chance encounter while doing a welding job. After realizing that his welding machine could manipulate things into different shapes and forms, he begun making small animals using junk from his community. He had a short apprenticeship with renowned Zambian junk artist Owen Shikabeta, who encouraged him to step outside the box and unlock his imagination to bigger and bolder creations.
I am
Frederic Phiri
South Luangwa is known for its National park which houses countless animal species. Human communities over the years have settled right outside the park, with no boundary between people and wildlife. The growing number of people has seen a rise in pollution, with single use plastics and bottles on the increase, and there is a need for the reduction of human footprints as much as possible. Scrap metal if poorly discarded can prove fatal to wildlife.
Frederick believes that his art has helped people see the beauty in junk and encouraged young people to think twice before getting rid of metal with no regard for the environment. Popular in his work are bicycle chains, and some of his signature pieces usually include metal nails, house keys, old gardening tools and different car spares. By using readily available resources within his own community, he believes that more people will be inspired to unleash their artistic skills and also start to make a living with what is already in front of them.
"I want to keep making art that translates into works that not only has a story to tell, but also pays homage to the rich wildlife around me. Being able to go into the park and see different animals made me discover that I am privileged. This is an opportunity that many people in our country do not have. I was fascinated by the shapes, and movements of these animals, and I discovered later on that I am able to translate what I see into visual masterpieces, and present them to the public in a creative way. I like using the scrap metal found right here in Luangwa, because it gives me the opportunity to help clean the environment and gives people long lasting art."
This article was written by Wildlife Crime Prevention working in partnership with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife. To share your thoughts and experiences, send an email to situmbeko.wambulawae@zgf.org.zm
