Evening Standard - 30 August 2002
THIS is the haunting image of the view through cell bars seen and recorded
by the world's most famous prisoner.
Since leaving that cell. Nelson Mandela went on to become the world's most
admired statesman as president of South Africa.
Now the 84 year-old former freedom fighter is gaining a reputation as an artist
Since stepping down as president in 1999, he has become a keen amateur artist
who is to exhibit his work in London.
Mr Mandela's art will go on show at The Belgravia Gallery next month and lithographs
of the pieces will be on sale from £1,700 a piece to raise money For his Children's
Fund which helps orphaned and homeless children and those with HIV. There are
two sets of Mandela- penned images.
One is a series of views of Robben Island, the notorious prison where Mandela
spent most of his 27 years in jail.
He returned to the island prison, where he used to quarry stone with his bare
hands, to draw the sketches.
The other is a live-part series of drawings of fists and hands which represent
the fight, and eventual victory, over the apartheid policies of the white South
African government.
Mr Mandela says: "I drew hands because they are powerful instrument, 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 loose the shackles of injustice, we
joined hands across the social divides and national boundaries."
Owner of The Belgravia Gallery, Anna Hunter, helped raise more than £4 million
for The Prince of Wales' Charitable Foundation by selling boxed, signed lithographs
of his watercolours, believes her new client will attract as much interest. "Its
an important collection which will appeal to a huge cross-section of people ...it's
charming work, not the work of a professional artist, but they are iconic."
Mr Mandela is planning to be in London next February to promote the sale of
the works for charity.
The exhibition, called Black and White, will be held from 20 September.
