Mwansa Phiri
a copper smelting town in Zambia's Copperbelt
Mwansa spends his days collecting parking fees, seated in a small booth overshadowed by the constant hum of the nearby smelting plant. Every so often, he finds himself outside under the stars, wondering how he ended up surrounded by inexplicable objects from his sleepwalking excursions. He focuses on his job primarily for the sake of his mother and daughter, trying to outpace the uncertainties of mine shutdowns and the intangible meanings of his nocturnal treasures.
About
Obsession
The language of deceitful hands
Voice
Buzzing nerves, tremble on the brink
Artistic Medium
Assemblage using sleepwalk-found objects with water interactions
Technique
Submerging objects in rainwater and rusting them
Influences
The dusty, smoke-laden air of Mufulira; his daughter's grinning face on school days; eerie, quiet nights under the Copperbelt's starry sky.
Materials
Copper wire, miner's gloves, plastic shoes, rainwater, slag gravel
Scale
Works extend to the size of a parking space
Selected 0 times
Commissioned Works
"Innovation's Ascent"
July 20, 2026 · energetic