The work of art, entitled Ndiwelimilambo Enamagama- a Thembu expression meaning "a great man that has crossed many rivers", was created by Andy Roberston from Glyph. The piece is a monumental landscape that depicts a personal portrait of who Mandela is. His shirt and much of the landscape are a translation cleverly incorporating many of the tributes that were sent in from South Africans countrywide.
"As a person who shares in Nelson Mandela's awe of our beautiful country, I felt it was important to set a scene he would approve of," said Robertson. "I wanted to paint a potentially treacherous landscape in the most serene way, in order to show how Madiba's amazing outlook makes everything seem surmountable.
Making the piece a "mindscape" as much as a landscape also allowed me exaggerate wide rivers and high mountains, but still echo the familiar look of the Eastern Cape; a place I understand is close to Mandela's heart," he explained.
Ndaba Mandela, (Nelson Mandela's grandson) who accepted the painting on behalf of Madiba said: "It is with great pride that I congratulate the people of SA on 17 years of freedom - one Africa, one people, one destiny."
"We hope that the painting will become part of Nelson Mandela's personal collection as a treasured memento of this incredible milestone that is 21 years of Freedom," said Lezanne Human, CEO of FNB Premier Banking.
