Tichaona Ncube grew up herding cattle in the village in Tsholotsho, close to Hwange National Park.
He would sketch cattle and kudu and was inspired by the landscape around him.
During schooling in Victoria Falls he developed his love of art and with encouragement from mentors including Sanele Dhlomo, he received his very first commission in 2002. Tich now has a small home studio in Chinotimba, behind the Victoria Falls Hospital. He shares the space with his partner who runs a hairdresser so there is always lots of people coming and going!
You can see Tich’s work hanging in some of the lodges around Victoria Falls.
Tich particularly loves to paint big cats and elephants. He has donated art to Sketch for Survival in 2018, 2021 and 2022, when we exhibited his wonderful cheetah artwork at our event at the Explorer Club in New York. We are delighted to feature one of Tich’s artworks in our special ‘On the Brink’ collection in 2023. This small collection will be exhibited alongside our Sketch for Survival artworks during the autumn tour (Norwich, Edinburgh, London) and the auction will conclude on Sunday 12 November.
Tich has been working with students at the Arts For Animals centre, set up by US artist and Sketch for Survival supporter A.E London. The centre is based at Jabulani High School, not far from the airport, and Tich was able to give me a tour of the centre and introduce me to some of the teachers and students when I was in Victoria Falls last month. More about that to come…
Explorers Against Extinction has partnered with Arts For Animals since 2018, supporting its work with young people in Zimbabwe.
To find out more about Sketch for Survival please click here>>
To see more of Tich’s work please follow @tichthewatchman on Instagram.
Tich’s cheetah on display at the Explorer Club in New York in October 2022.
