Probing Nelson Mandela

‘It’s a disgrace, it’s taking our democracy too far, I feel like throwing paint at this painting; why haven’t they done the same to a white leader’, Mrs. Thoko Mashinini angrily reacts after seeing Yiull Damaso’s painting.

Damaso’s painting shows well known South African political figures listening as Nkosi Johnson, a child AID’s activist who died at the age of 12, performs an autopsy of a dead Nelson Mandela.

Nkosi ‘lifts the muscles in Mandela’s forearm to show them that he is just a man’ and the reason behind using Nkosi, is the fact that he ‘spoke about adult issues when he was alive and some of the leaders did not listen’.

As people viewed the unfinished painting, they would cluster in small groups to discuss their views or confront the artist. Some of them were outraged at his insensitivity because the Mandela family recently lost their great-grand daughter in a fatal car accident and the fact that Mandela is still alive. ‘How would you feel if someone depicted you as a dead person while you are still alive?” one asked.

Damaso who recently lost his grandmother reasons that ‘death is a reality that has to be faced and the eventual passing of Mr. Mandela is something that we will have to face, as individuals or as a nation.’ One of the viewers felt that the idea behind the painting was good but technically the painting was not up to standard.

Previously, he painted Mandela in dreadlocks, which also caused astir.

‘As a president he broke many stereotypes and if one wanted to have long hair or not it was up to him. It is not wise to judge a book by its cover’. Says Damaso as a matter of fact.

The artist who has no formal art training admits to have received death threats and has been told to apologise to the African National Congress (ANC) and to the Mandela family.

His partner Michela Casciani, who occasionally bore the brunt of angry onlookers, hopes that people ‘understand that he did the painting out of love and admiration for Mandela’.

The painting, which is on display at an up market shopping mall in Johannesburg, is similar to Dutch artist Rembrandt van Ryn’s oil on canvas group portrait of the Amsterdam Guild of surgeons titled ‘The Anatomy lesson of Doctor Tulip’.

Using Rembrandt’s painting as a resource, the 41-year-old artist revealed that he asked his friends who they wanted to be on the painting. ‘They suggested many politicians some of whom I have included but ultimately I settled for the ones in the painting’.

Interestingly after Rembrandt produced the painting, he prospered as an artist so it will be interesting to see whether Damaso’s artwork will make or break him. 
 

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Football and Art

Thirty-two blank canvases lay on the floor. In less than two hours, they were filled with interesting artworks thanks to a group of boys and girls from disadvantaged communities in Africa, Asia, South America and Europe. The youths aged between 15 and 20 are part of a delegation that arrived in South Africa to participate in the two-week long Football for Hope Festival in Johannesburg.

Under the direction of renowned Brazilian pop culture artist Romero Britto, the youths participated in a painting workshop, which saw many expressing issues close to their heart namely, football and identity. 

Seventeen year old Peter Kyalo and Richard Onyango from Kenya painted the Kenyan flag. Although some of the colors were not of the real flag, their point was clear. ‘You must remember where you come from wherever you are’ Kyalo said. 

Kyalo and Onyango were among a delegation of youths from the Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) and Moving the Goal Posts in Kilifi. Raised by a single parent in Kariobangi, Kyalo never imagined he would be in South Africa at this time when football is in everyone’s lips.

The programme which is led by FIFA and street football world, uses football to tackle social issues such as homelessness, HIV/AIDs education among other things. ‘I am happy at the opportunity to come to South Africa and I have been able to make friends and learn lots of things’.

Twenty-year-old Ahasan Ansari from Magic Bus in India meticulously painted two happy soccer balls that represented his favorite teams Argentina and Germany. Coincidentally, both teams have qualified for this years FIFA 2010 World cup quarter final and they will be playing against each other on 3 July.  His painting was inspired by the fact that football brings people from different nationalities together.

As Romero guided the participants through the process, he occasionally stopped to paint his artwork. His choice and use of colors gave his painting a sense of warmth which is a characteristic of his artworks. It is no wonder that his work is embraced by the international community and is featured in five continents and galleries worldwide.

This sculpture and painter created two commemorative stamp collections for the United Nations Postal Administration in honor of education and the Olympic Games in Beijing China.

In commemoration of King Tutanshanum’s exhibit in England, Britto was commissioned to paint the largest art installation in Hyde Park London. Britto was also one of the eleven international artists selected to create the FIFA 2010 Official Art Posters collection.
 

Apart from the art workshop, other groups participated in photography, coaching and youth forums. The Football for Hope festival will culminate in a football tournament from 4-10 July in Alexandra township in Johannesburg.