Tich The Watchman: Art That Feeds Without Killing

“When art tells the story of our nature and our origins, it can feed a family without killing an animal”.

Published

March 8, 2026
Listen to the full episode on
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At the edge of the Zambezi Valley, where wildlife and village life intersect, artist Tichaona “Tich” — The Watchman has found a way to turn painting into protection.

In this episode, we talk with Tich about growing up beside a national park in Zimbabwe, his first encounter with elephants, and how those experiences shaped a life dedicated to wildlife and conservation art.

Tich doesn’t see art as decoration. For him, it’s a responsibility — a way to tell the story of animals, communities, and the fragile balance between survival and protection.

Together we explore:

How a childhood love of drawing became a mission to protect wildlife

• Why Tich calls himself “The Watchman”
• The challenge of conservation in communities where poverty is a daily reality
• How art can create economic alternatives to hunting wildlife
• Why Tich rejects pity and insists on dignity and collaboration between cultures

At the heart of the conversation is a powerful idea:
a painting can put food on the table without taking life from the land.

This episode was recorded remotely between Canada and Zimbabwe. The audio is a little rough at the beginning due to connection issues, but it improves as the conversation unfolds, and the insights from Tich are well worth the journey.

The episode closes with Tich offering thanks in several of his native languages — a reminder that this conversation, like the wildlife he protects, belongs to a much larger world.