Born 1982, in Lusaka, Zambia, Rabson Phiri’s work features an ingenious use of scrap metal that comprises mainly car and bicycle parts. The latter features prominently in his work perhaps because he spent his teenage years as a bicycle mechanic, an occupation that led him to his mentor, the late Friday Tembo. As a 16-year-old, Phiri was hired to fix his soon to be mentors’ bicycle, but when he visited Tembo’s Ulendo Studios – an informal art school right in the heart of Linda compound – in 1998, he was instantly enthralled with the place.

He accepted an offer to join Ulendo and accompanied Tembo alongside others on an expedition to reclaim discarded wood for use at the studio. The learning process had already started. Ever since, he has worked with stone, scrap metal and hardwoods which he still harvests from surrounding areas. He has attended several workshops, including a recycling workshop in Nigeria, and has exhibited in numerous group shows. He was also awarded second prize in sculpture in 2010 for the Art for Wildlife competition. Rabson Phiri has been featured on CNN’s Inside Africa. He mentored James Mumba who got first prize in the Art for wildlife competition. He exhibited in China in 2016 and most recently showed work at the Italy–Zambia Building an Art Bridge / BABIZ exhibition in 2022 as well as the Rock, Paper, Scissors, Form exhibition at 37d Gallery in 2023.