The
Times described one of the Nelson Mandela prints, Hand of Africa as ‘The
Man with Africa in the Palm of his Hands’ – and they were not wrong. Nelson
Mandela, throughout his life, had his country in his heart and through his
artwork, produced whilst in his 80’s, he showed us his love for his country. In
the Mandela print called ‘Mandela’s Walk’ Nelson Mandela speaks of the guard
tower that is seen in the image.
He tells us in the Artist Motivation that the
guard tower marked the corner of the Robben Island prison compound. He says
that the prisoners on Robben Island were forced to work the quarries for
thirteen years as a part of their ‘hard labour’ sentence. He tell us that is
was incredibly hard work but that they didn’t mind as it enabled them to leave
the prison compound and have a small amount of freedom to walk and talk
together on the long road leading to the quarry. He calls them ‘invigorating
times’. In this particular lithograph, he describes the prisoners of the Island
feeling the wind in their faces, seeing the birds flying in freedom and
smelling the blossoms.
In
this Mandela print, which is one of the very interesting pieces of Mandela
Art launched by Belgravia Gallery, Nelson Mandela says:
“After a day
of relative “freedom” the tower was a grim reminder as we returned to the
prison each evening. Conversation between us would usually become less and less
as we approached the tower.
The tower
reminded us of exactly where we were and where we had expected to stay of the
rest of our lives. How little we guessed at the great changes that would sweep
our country in our lifetime…that in my lifetime I would exchange these prison
walls for freedom, not just my freedom, but the freedom of all my country’s
people, a freedom which has become a symbol for all.”
Nelson
Mandela lithographs and Mandela Prints, Mandela’s
Walk, is available through Belgravia Gallery. For more information visit
www.belgraviagallery.com
or call 020 7495 1010
