Legendary for his seemingly bottomless capacity for forgiveness, international elder statesman Nelson Mandela seems to have extended that quality even to the island prison where he was incarcerated by South Africa’s apartheid administration.
In a series of sketches undertaken earlier this year, the former South African leader depicts various aspects of notorious Robben Island in clear, sharp outlines and brilliant hues. While many may have expected the hardships of the 27 years he spent there to be reflected in the charcoal and pastel artworks, there is no sign of the infamous penitentiary’s darker aspects.
“Today, when I look at Robben Island I see it as a celebration of the struggle and symbol of the finest qualities of human spirit, rather than as a monument to the brutal tyranny and oppression of apartheid,” says Mandela. “Robben Island is a place where courage endured in the face of endless hardship, a place where people kept on believing when it seemed their dreams were hopeless and a place where wisdom and determination overcame fear and human frailty.”
In one, South Africa’s Table Mountain is depicted as a violet mass in the distance, viewed over a verdant expanse of grass and through red, orange and burgundy bars. But realism is obviously not an issue. As the notes which accompany each artwork explain, Table Mountain is not visible from the cells on Robben Island; instead the rendition “idealises one that resembled freedom and beauty to Nelson Mandela during his incarceration”. Another work portrays the island’s lighthouse against a lavender sky, both a beacon of hope and a symbol of oppression. In a charcoal depiction of the quay upon which prisoners disembarked, the sea is highlighted in blue – signifying the importance of the prisoners’ last contact with freedom – with the landing stage, their first contact with prison, picked out in green. The sketches, which were produced to raise money through Mandela’s trust for children and HIV victims, are currently on display in London’s Belgravia Gallery. A limited edition of 500 lithograph prints of the six drawings are on sale for £8,450, along with 50 artists proofs made from hand-drawn colour separations done by the elder statesman.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
“Today, when I look at Robben Island I see it as a celebration of the struggle and symbol of the finest qualities of human spirit, rather than as a monument to the brutal tyranny and oppression of apartheid,” says Mandela
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Although Table Mountain, as depicted through prison bars, is not a view visible from any other cells on Robben Island, the legendary statesman's rendition "idealises one that resembles freedom and beauty"
