Mandela art row gathering force
2005-04-13 22:39
Pretoria - Claims that former president Nelson Mandela's one-time attorney copied his signature on Madiba's lithographs of Robben Island have created a stir in South African art circles.
It also is claimed the lithographs were sold for thousands of rands.
George Bizos SC, Mandela's lawyer and a human-rights activist, has accused Ismail Ayob, Madiba's former attorney for more than 30 years, of forging the ex-president's signature and selling the lithographs as genuine.
Mandela's sought-after works of art, launched in February 2003, form part of exhibitions in art galleries locally and abroad.
Bizos and the rest of Mandela's legal team are to serve court papers soon on Ayob and Ross Calder, his business partner.
Bizos has said previously that Ayob and Calder must account in court for the cash proceeds derived from the sale of Mandela's artworks.
Media conference planned
Art galleries in South Africa that have Mandela's art on sale were abuzz on Wednesday about the allegations.
Craig Mark, director of The Mark Galleries in Natal, said he was in contact with Calder and they would hold a media conference on Thursday.
The Mark Galleries operate the Touch of Mandela Gallery at Durban's uShaka Marine World and the Ballito and Umhlanga art galleries where permanent exhibitions of Madiba's work can be viewed.
Mark has expressed his reservations about the case, however, and said if Mandela's signature really had been forged, "everyone would have been arrested".
Ayob could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
According to the Touch of Mandela website, InvestArt in Cape Town, the Everard Read Gallery in Johannesburg and Cape Town and the Belgravia Gallery in London were the original agents.
An exhibition of the Mandela lithographs at the CWM gallery in Brisbane, Australia, was due to end on Thursday.
Charles Shield of Everard Read in Cape Town said it was premature to discuss the case.
The legal steps also extend beyond Mandela's art.
According to Bizos, they are contemplating instituting about 40 legal actions against people who have abused Mandela's copyright.
Launched on Robben Island
Mandela took up a paint brush in 2003 when he approached Varenke Paschke, a Cape Town artist and grand-daughter of former president PW Botha, to help him.
On February 7 2003, the Touch of Mandela series was launched on Robben Island.
It mostly comprises lithographs of buildings on Robben Island such as the lighthouse, church, harbour, tennis courts and Mandela's cell.
Several of Mandela's lithographs are still for sale on the Touch of Mandela website.
The most expensive, The Window (R173 000), Mandela's Walk (R144 000) and The Cell (R156 000), have already been sold.
- Beeld