PORTRAITS OF MANDELA Conceived and executed by Aleta Michaletos in 1994 As part of a solo exhibition titled ‘Drawing Attention to Transformation and Regeneration’, which I held at the Pretoria Art Museum in 1994, I conceived and executed a symbolical portrait of Nelson Mandela, titled ‘Rebirth’. In the same year, ‘Rebirth’ earned the ‘United Nations Art and Philatelic Award’, which was bestowed upon me in October 1994, at the U.N. Headquarters in New York, USA. I will detail the thought processes behind the artwork as well as that of the two additional portraits that followed. All three portraits were exhibited at the U.N. Headquarters in 1994. I found myself increasingly fascinated by the ‘conflict’ and paradox, surrounding Mandela. This political giant had spent 27 years, (during the prime of his life), jailed as a terrorist. Yet, the same man, earned the respect and admiration of the world …… he received the Nobel Prize for Peace! In the painting, ‘Rebirth’, this mental ‘conflict’ is symbolically represented as follows: 7 Yellow ‘Doves of Peace’ fly from left to right and a ‘Black Hawk’, swoops from right to left. Mandela’s head (the features highlighted in green,) acts as ‘arena’ for the ‘conflict’. At last, here is a MAN in whom the opposing forces are reconciled! These images are superimposed, one upon the other. If it were not for the three colours that differentiate the separate images, green, black and yellow (the colours attributed to the ANC), the artwork would simply be an unintelligible jumble of lines. On closer inspection we note that this image of Mandela subtly suggests the outline of Southern Africa and the wings of the doves and hawk that crown his portrait, could well be ‘laurel leaves’. The talons and beak of the hawk fall out of the main portrait and suggest that ‘force and violence’ no longer plays a part in his life. Only dynamic power and strength of character remain. A comment made by a pastor from Soweto, moved me deeply. He was curious as to how I knew that the ’Hawk ’was a symbol synonymous with Mandela. ‘A hawk does not eat what it finds…it finds what it wants!’ This ‘Intellectual / Cerebral‘ portrait did not completely satisfy my need to portray the complexity of MAN (dela). Subsequently I was moved to conceive and portray, yet another aspect of him: ‘The Emotional’ portrait titled: ‘God Bless Madiba’. Not only I, but whomever I spoke to, expressed and continue to air, concern regarding the safety and well being of our beloved Madiba. We cringe in empathy when we observe the increasing discomfort he experiences when climbing steps, walking and getting up from a seat. We are not blind to the fact that the world is filled with fanatics and we fear that he will be ‘removed’ from our presence as magically as he appeared! We are also concerned about his eyes and the problems surrounding it, and we have respect for his seniority. 27 Years took a great chunk out of his life! All of these issues compact and crystallize into ONE deep emotion: CARE. We care enough to want to protect him at all times, against all foes. Who could do this better? We humbly ask God to protect this MAN from harm and to bless him………’God Bless Madiba’. Because the name ‘Madiba’ is used in a very loving way and we use our hands to caress and protect the vulnerable, I conceived the imagery of ‘God Bless Madiba’ as follows: Madiba is surrounded and ‘protected’ by two giant cupped hands. The artwork is executed in coloured pencil, a very gentle and translucent medium if applied sensitively. My subject usually dictates the medium in which it would like to make itself visible and this is a perfect example of my honest response. I virtually ‘caress’ the paper when I apply the pencil strokes, the delicate movements of my hand hardly visible as I take care not to ‘disturb’ my subject. When using this medium, the white paper left uncovered, becomes as important as the parts that are. This technique was used to great advantage to suggest some shimmering light or ‘halo’ surrounding him, by simply leaving the area directly around his head, untouched. ‘God Bless Madiba’ succeeds as an emotionally evocative portrait. Completion of the second portrait still left me unsatisfied. I had not yet completely exhausted the richness of character and the many facets projected by this MAN. His complexity demanded of me to finally portray his ‘spiritual’ aspect, resulting in ‘Mandala / Mandela’. As before, and for similar reasons, I dutifully obeyed the conceptual suggestion to create the work of art in coloured pencils. I’ve always been fascinated by the names attributed to us at birth and the impact they subsequently have on our lives. Deeply interested in this aspect, as mentioned, I noticed with amusement/amazement how attractively similar MANDELA and MANDALA as well as the respectful title for a wise man: MADALA, sounded to the ear on the one hand and to the intellect on the other. Mandela had rapidly transcended his political role, becoming the beloved of friend and foe alike. It was evident that he was irrevocably part of a new ‘political/spiritual tri-ad’: Ghandi Martin Luther King Nelson Mandela Isn’t it significant that TWO of these giants herald from South Africa and the other, a descendant from Africa? A MANDALA, as we observe in the ‘Rose Patterns’ in stained glass windows and the ornamental ‘Floral Patterns’ depicted in Persian carpets as well as the design of the ‘Lotus Flower’ in Eastern and Middle Eastern culture, custom and the decorative arts, depicts ‘something’ radiating from the ‘centre’. However, most remarkable is the fact that a Mandala must by its very nature, surmount disorder. It is, then, the visual, plastic expression of the struggle to achieve order--even within diversity¬—and of the longing to be reunited with the centre. Isn’t this is a fitting description of MANdela ? This ‘spiritual’, intangible aspect of Madiba, is exactly that X-factor that miraculously bonds us together as human beings, disregarding our differences or peculiarities. It appeals to the ‘basic good’ that underscores and permeates our very essence. The final portrait, represents Mandela as, and in, the ‘centre’ of a ‘ROSE’. He smiles enigmatically, yet confidently. His eyes are fixed on a spot in the future, the place where he has prophetically visualized his beloved countrymen to be, MANDALA and MANDELA have blended into the wise one, the MADALA …….. Because we subconsciously believe that ‘things’ will be fine as long as ex(tra) president Mandela is around, we fear a post- Mandela South Africa. He has single handedly engineered a great miracle in our beloved country. His name is synonymous with reconciliation and he is our ‘bringer-of –luck’, our ‘lucky charm’, our Talisman,…..”talis-MAN-DELA”.