- “My art talks about the past, the now, and the future,” Dike says. “My past taught me that pain is a teacher. The present is what you use to build your future.”
Self-taught artist Timothy Dike, the man behind Big Tim Arts, is carving out a name for himself across north western Botswana. His murals and paintings do more than decorate walls; they blend personal trauma, Hambukushu heritage, and the raw reality of living alongside wildlife.
“I turn my pain into power and my madness into art,” Dike says.
Originally from Shakawe in the Okavango region, Dike’s journey began as a child mimicking his grandfather, a painter. “I was a naughty kid, but the creativity in my naughtiness was always outstanding,” he recalls.
While he experimented with art throughout his youth, Dike only fully committed to the brush in 2017. “It was not easy,” he admits. “It took years to perfect, but I am finally confident with the brush.”
Dike used art as an escape and credits his creative DNA to his grandfather and an uncle who creates traditional carvings. However, his drive to paint was fueled by a need for emotional survival.
“At the time, I was very emotional,” he explains. “Coming from struggles and navigating life without anyone to rely on was never easy. I ran to art to be my voice.”
Since moving to Kasane in 2019, Dike’s work has increasingly focused on the delicate, sometimes tragic, balance between humans and animals – the. One of his first major pieces in the region was inspired by a fatal elephant encounter. The painting—depicting a tearful eye, a reaching hand, and an elephant silhouette at sunset—eventually reached a gallery in France.
“My art is an alert,” Dike says. “We live in an environment that can benefit us, but it can also cost us our lives. Art helps people understand that we must live cautiously and respectfully with wildlife.”
Dike is now leaving an indelible mark on Chobe by transforming public spaces. His most ambitious project to date is a massive elephant mural on a new building in Kasane. Despite initial doubts about the scale, Dike insisted on creative freedom.
“At first, there were doubts because of how big it was,” he says. “But I told them I could do it.”
The mural is set to be officially unveiled on the 17th of this month by the Minister of Environment and Tourism.
Dike’s footprint continues to grow through local collaborations, including a recent hippopotamus mural at a Kasane restaurant. Looking forward, he aims to mentor art students and eventually open a gallery dedicated to wildlife and cultural heritage.
“My art talks about the past, the now, and the future,” Dike says. “My past taught me that pain is a teacher. The present is what you use to build your future.”
