SPOKEN STATE SOUTH AFRICA — NELSON MANDELA
I Am Prepared to Die / Pretoria, 20 April 1964
ABOUT THE PAINTING
Words from Nelson Mandela’s “I Am Prepared to Die” statement are drawn and painted by hand to form the South African flag. From a distance, its six colours establish a familiar national image. Up close, the lettering reveals his commitment to a democratic and free society—bringing the words of the struggle against apartheid into the flag of the nation that emerged.
Original painting: acrylic on aluminium composite panel.
Process
The aluminium panel is prepared, primed and painted white. Using a T-square and pencil, I map Mandela’s words across the geometry of the South African flag. The lettering and surrounding colour are painted by hand in acrylic, building the flag’s six colours around its distinctive Y-shaped form.
Print EDITIONS
Signed and numbered archival pigment prints of the original paintings, produced in limited editions and available in two sizes. Each print is supplied unframed.
Archival pigment print
Edition of 96
Signed & numbered
Size: 45 cm × 32 cm
Shown framed · Sold unframed
Historical Context
On 20 April 1964, Nelson Mandela delivered his statement from the dock during the Rivonia Trial in Pretoria. Facing the possibility of a death sentence, he spoke of his opposition to racial domination and his commitment to a democratic society with equal opportunities for all.
Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment on 12 June 1964. He remained imprisoned until 11 February 1990, later helping to negotiate the end of apartheid and becoming South Africa’s first democratically elected president in 1994.
In this painting, his words form the South African flag, connecting the ideals expressed in the courtroom with the nation’s subsequent transformation.
Nelson Mandela — I Am Prepared to Die
Audio recording, Rivonia Trial, Pretoria, 20 April 1964
ORIGINAL PAINTING
For availability and enquiries about the original painting, please contact Gary.