Artworks and a handwritten letter by South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and Nobel prize winner, Nelson Mandela, who served as the first black president of the nation and spent nearly three decades in prison, are set to be sold as NFTs this week, starting March 9, 2022.
Mandela produced a series of five artworks, depicting his time spent incarcerated on Robben Island, in the early 2000s. The artworks and a handwritten motivation will now be minted and sold as non-fungible tokens or NFTs by the London-based auction house, Bonhams.
The Church, Nelson Mandela, My Robben Island series (Image supplied)
The Lighthouse, Nelson Mandela, My Robben Island series (Image supplied)
The Harbour, Nelson Mandela, My Robben Island series (Image supplied)
The Church, Nelson Mandela, My Robben Island series (Image supplied)
The Cell, Nelson Mandela, My Robben Island series (Image supplied)
The Motivation, Nelson Mandela, My Robben Island series (Image supplied)
Bonhams is to offer the first NFT of Nelson Mandela’s emotive watercolours in a dedicated sale, Nelson Mandela’s “My Robben Island”, a NFT edition drop, on Wednesday 9 March at New Bond Street. Offered through the NFT platform, Nifty Gateway, these exclusive NFTs are the first to be minted of Mandela’s own artwork and are to be sold at $699 (around R10,744) for a single image and the full set will sell for $3,495 (around R53,723).
The NFT edition is being offered in partnership with Makaziwe Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s eldest daughter. “When my dad was on the island, he was surrounded by grey. Remember, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. He never thought he would walk out of prison. But the paintings say we should never despair.” says Makaziwe Mandela
She also stated that she hoped some of the money raised by the NFT sale would help pay for a memorial garden being created at Qunu, where her father is buried. “Hopefully we will be able to finish the garden before I close my eyes.
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Giles Peppiatt, Bonhams Director, Modern & Contemporary African Art, commented: “Nelson Mandela is quite simply an icon whose life is a source of strength and inspiration to millions of people throughout the world. Having previously sold original artwork by Nelson Mandela at Bonhams, we are delighted to offer these NFT editions which will allow collectors and admirers to share in his work.”
Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013) stepped down as President of South Africa on 16 June 1999. Following his retirement, he turned to making art as a therapeutic activity and produced a series of watercolour sketches that depicted his imprisonment on Robben Island. He created the works in which graphic lines are filled with dazzling colour to imbue Mandela’s memories of his imprisonment with deep emotional and symbolic meaning.
The NFT edition of “My Robben Island” consists of six items: five original watercolours and The Motivation, (a text written by Mandela that details his reasons for visualising the harsh realities of his 18-year incarceration on the island). All works bear the signature of Nelson Mandela.
