The legend lives on in works of art

18 July 2014 - 02:02 By Bianca Capazorio
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PRECIOUS MEMORIES: Nelson Mandela collectables will be auctioned by Stephan Welz & Co on Thursday
PRECIOUS MEMORIES: Nelson Mandela collectables will be auctioned by Stephan Welz & Co on Thursday
Image: WALDO SWIEGERS

As more than 200 pieces of Nelson Mandela artwork and memorabilia, valued at about R4-million, went under the hammer last night on the eve of his birthday today, The Times rounded up some interesting pieces created over the years.

Biggest: Last year artist Paul Blomkamp painted a 4.2m by 4.2m Mandela artwork made up of nine canvases. But it is dwarfed by a 40m-tall Mandela mural in Johannesburg by artist Ricky Lee Gordon, who paints under the name Freddy Sam. The black and white mural features Mandela boxing and was completed just days after his death.

Most controversial: Artist Yiull Damaso's painting depicting the autopsy of Mandela, with him surrounded by former presidents Thabo Mbeki and FW de Klerk, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and President Jacob Zuma. The painting made headlines in 2010 and the ANC labelled it "in bad taste, disrespectful and an insult and affront to the values of our society".

Most expensive: A portrait of Mandela by royal portrait artist Richard Stone fetched nearly R1-million at auction earlier this year, but South African artist Connor McCreedy became the first living artist to have his work valued as "priceless" by Interpol after his portrait of Mandela was stolen in New York last year.

Most bizarre: It took a while for South Africans to notice the rabbit in the ear of the Mandela statue outside the Union Buildings in Pretoria but, when they did, it caused a bit of a stir. The artists, Andre Prinsloo and Ruhan Janse van Vuuren, later apologised.

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