Art
House of Mandela Art International is a reflection of the life, thoughts-band artistic expression of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, his culture, his various experiences of his environment and the world that formed him.
It is about Madiba’s philosophy of inclusiveness, unity, hope and empathy. It is about a rich source of South Africa’s past, its culture, traditions, lifestyle and the future.
About Nelson Mandela,
The Artist
Until his release from prison in 1990, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was better known as a cause than a man. But as a statesman, he set a moral compass for the world and raised the bar for mankind.
Until his release from prison in 1990, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was better known as a cause than a man. But as a statesman, he set a moral compass for the world and raised the bar for mankind.
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Having already earned a global reputation as an author, in 2001 he decided to step out of his comfort zone and turn his memories into art. Inspired by the late John Lennon, whose artworks had commanded worldwide attention, his intention was to share a part of himself that had been completely hidden from the world and at 83 years old, he began sketching slowly, The Struggle Series.
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In 2002, he returned to Robben Island and choosing places that held significance for him, he created strong black charcoal pieces with certain elements imbued with intense colour. It was only once engrossed in the creative process, that the therapeutic effect of visually recording his past became evident. The sources of his mystic appeal had a lot to do with the culture, traditions and values of his upbringing. For him, the commitments and obligations that arose from kinship and community often intersected with his politics. So his later charcoal sketches were about his homeland, which formed a strong influence on his upbringing and his view of the world.
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The world that formed my father was very close to his heart, even throughout his 27 years in prison, he spoke fondly of Qunu, the world that formed him. This is why the African Icons and Homeland sketches are a tribute to the land, environment and animals, which impacted so powerfully on his life. It was his way of celebrating his history, lineage and his heritage.
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Tom Lodge, a South African scholar and author observed that, thought the city eventually became his home, my father was intensely rural and it was really half of his early life that really mattered when it came to ones roots. Notwithstanding his wider political and social loyalties, there were deep rooted historical identities that could not be denied – the first experience of human solidarity in the family, in the clan, in the tribe – these constituted real identities, the nurseries for larger solidarities.
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Dr. Makaziwe Mandela
Robben Island
One Collection
In May 2002, Nelson Mandela created a series of sketches that reflected his time on Robben Island. He revisited the island in order to capture, the essence of the island. After which he applied his unique style of bright
colours to the series of works. The images in this collection of works are titled; The Cell, The Window, The Church, The Lighthouse and The Harbour. Nelson Mandela further hand wrote the motivation for this series of works.
The Struggle Series
These sketches are not so much about my life as they are about my own country. I drew hands because they are powerful instruments, hands can hurt or heal, punish or uplift. They can also be bound, but a quest for righteousness can never be repressed. In time, we broke open the shackles
of injustice, we joined hands across social divides and national boundaries, between continents and over oceans. And now we look to the future, knowing that even if age makes us wiser guides, it is the youth that remind us of love, of trust, and the value of life.
Impressions
Nelson Mandela has left an indelible imprint on the international stage and the country he fought to attain its freedom, South Africa. He truly symbolised the hopes of a nation and a whole continent. South Africa became free in the way that it did, because he reached out to all, and thus his name became a symbol of hope to oppressed people throughout the world.
