Honor Him
Portrait of Sgt Anton Mzimba (1980 - 2022)
Acrylic on canvas, 20 by 30 inches, 26.07.2023
This painting was commissioned by the Director of Rhino Man The Movie, John Jurko II. I was given complete creative freedom to compose the portrait and early access to a private screening of Rhino Man the Movie, from which this painting was composed and created.
“All souls are immortal but the souls of the righteous are immortal and divine”- Socrates
I would like to present the finished portrait of the late Sgt Anton Mzimba. This painting will be exhibited at the film premiere of the Rhino man movie at Jackson Wild, Wyoming on the 25 - 28th of September, 2023.
Sgt Anton Mzimba was a spiritual man, who felt being a ranger was his calling, his purpose here on earth. He believed it was his sacred calling to protect this planet’s beautiful creatures and was willing to sacrifice everything, including, ultimately, his life, - protect the vulnerable and inspire the next generation to follow as wildlife protectors.
It is for this reason I included the Fibonacci sequence aka the golden ratio of divine proportions; which this painting coincidently fits perfectly. I intuitively created the composition and only found out about the golden ratio during the pieces completion and thought it was something special that the beginning of the spiral starts out from the rhino’s horn, and the portrait fits the ratio perfectly.
The golden ratio can be traced back to 300 BCE where it was studied by Pythagoras and Euclid, and has gained fame amongst artists and mathematicians for being able to represent divine simplicity and orderliness. It is called the divine proportion as it is found all throughout nature. The ratio provides a sense of balance and symmetry and visual appeal. The golden ratio continuously reveals itself in the wonders of the world around us.
If your at Jackson Wild Film Festival this September be sure to attend the premiere of the powerful film, Rhino Man and see this painting in person at its opening.
In order to create the piece “Honor Him” I had the privilege to watch an early screening of the documentary Rhinoman @rhinomanthemovie thanks to John Jurko II @johnjurko
This film is beautifully shot and tells story of rangers on the frontlines of the rhino poaching crisis, from their perspective. There are no documentaries on the rhino wars that showcase the stories of those that work on the real frontlines of this battle to save a species. This documentary does just that, giving the viewer a front row seat to the stories of those that put their lives literally on the line for a cause that they believe in.
This is exactly what I meant by my paintings currently on view at the National Museum of Wildlife Art; “these are the voices that I would like to hear louder in conservation conversations, the voices of those that literally put their lives on the line to save a species”.
This documentary answers that exactly, it showcases rangers unlike anything that has come before it, it’s an extremely powerful film that needs to be seen by the largest possible audience. It serves as a testimony to the courage and bravery of rangers such as the late Sgt Anton Mzimba whom takes a central role in the film. It asks the powerful question; “Would you risk your life to save a species?” For Sgt Anton Mzimba, that answer was a resounding yes.
For more information on when the film will be released and for public screenings please visit :
and follow @rhinomanthemovie on Instagram
“The hands represent the lives of the rangers that died protecting these species”
Rangers like the late Sgt Anton Mzimba.
On July 26th, 2022, hitmen from a rhino poaching syndicate murdered him in front of his wife and kids. This followed months of death threats, this is the reality of the human toll this poaching crisis is having.
May his passion and legacy live on, please take a moment to listen to his story below on the Rhino Man Podcast.
Rest in Peace to a true hero
This film’s release date is in the memory of Sgt Anton Mzimba. This is the most important conservation film of this century.
An insatiable demand for rhino horn, and a population terrorized by organized crime syndicates, fuel a violent rhino poaching war in South Africa. RHINO MAN is the inspirational story of the field rangers who step up to protect our wildlife. Featuring Anton Mzimba, an incorruptible ranger who sacrifices all for the cause.
Sgt Anton Mzimba was a true hero, and an inspiration, an uncommon man amongst uncommon men. May he rest in peace. We owe a debt of gratitude to him and the fellow rangers like him who buy us time and put their lives on the line daily to protect the world’s natural heritage and endangered species. Thank you for your service. He was a real life hero.
The film is out now (26 July 2024) on AppleTV, GooglePlay and YouTube; also Vimeo on Demand and Amazon Prime. I implore you to watch this powerful film, and be inspired by Sgt Anton’s vision for the future.
Would you risk your life to save a species?
