Madiba statue gets a facelift
The artists who made the Nelson Mandela statue at the legislature have spoken up.
MBOMBELA – The statue has been mired in controversy since its unveiling in September.
“I am tired of keeping quiet and protecting others while my work is being criticised,” said Michael Canadas.
He and wife, Elvy, are the owners of The Loop Art Foundry in White River.
The actual statue cost R950 000, yet the department spent R8,3 million on it – with R2 million set aside for the unveiling ceremony.
Mideast Investment is the service provider and Mishkah Theron is the sole director.
Read More: R8.3 million Nelson Mandela statue: Where did the money go?
Since its unveiling, the statue’s posture and facial expression have drawn confusion from the general public for a questionable likeness to the country’s first democratically elected president.
The day it was unveiled on September 28 the public raised their concerns and some requested that it be removed.
Premier, Refilwe Mtshweni also said the statue of Mandela “failed in its intended objective to pay homage to the legacy of the former president and it must be fixed”.
The designers had initially told Lowvelder that they would make any alterations requested if granted the opportunity.
These have now been made and explained.
Michael said most of the work was done in his studio and it took him about two months to complete.
What I did this time around was to do what I initially wanted to,” he said.
“The statue has a new head and face. I sculpted this in my studio, we carried it outside the legislature, removed the head and inserted a new one.
Also Read: Crowd calls for removal of Nelson Mandela statue
“I then also worked on the shoulders, we moulded everything in advance, then we simply went out there to add what I had with me on the shoulder and arms.
The colour of the statue was also criticised. This is why I decided to change the upper part. I did a patina on the bronze. It is a different shade of bronze and it makes it look shiny. The upper part looks more shiny than the lower part of the body now.”
The changes were done on Sunday January 27.
The premier and relevant people from the department approved it.
The Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation (DCSR) had confirmed that “aesthetic changes” had been made.
Sibongile Nkosi, director of communications for DCSR, said it was done at no extra cost to government. “Mideast, the service provider, and I carried the costs for the refurbishment,” Michael confirmed.
