Mr Ray Phiri is a world-renowned musician who uses his music as a way of story telling. He believes deeply in the essence of Ubuntu, and the notion that one should never eat before his brother eats. He encourages people to invest in the riches that lie in their hearts, in their culture, and in their wisdom. He is a selfless human being; his dream is to make the world hurt less. He respects humans as much as he respects animals, seeking to co-exist with every living thing. He has never lost his roots.

His attitude towards life inspired my illustrations and designs for the rhino. Since Ray is so humble and grounded, yet feisty and passionate, I decided to use an earthy and fairly neutral colour palette. The African tree with deep growing roots was a major aspect of my design solution, after having understood more about himself and his personality. He, as with a tree, is full of wisdom. He once said, “this is your story, my story, our story... the unfinished story,” which is a relevant quote to add on the rhino because Ray is a story-teller, and because the rhino’s story concerns all Africans, and we are the only ones who can be the rhino’s voice. I also designed a pair of hands which hold a little tree sprout, to demonstrate Ray’s nurturing and philanthropic nature. The heart on the rhino’s rear is huge in size, to encapsulate Ray’s passion for both the endangered rhino and other forms of life.