Mosaic portrait of a smiling Archbishop Desmond Tutu unveiled

On what would have been Archbishop Desmond Tutu's 94th birthday, the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation unveiled a vibrant mosaic portrait of the Archbishop, celebrating his enduring legacy.

The artwork on a wall outside the entrance of the Desmond and Leah Tutu House, at The Old Granary Building, in Buitenkant Street, was unveiled on Tuesday, October 7, his birthday.

The permanent mosaic installation is a gift from Mozambican artist Marcelino Manhula, with the donation of materials from the 1895 Art Gallery, in Burg Street, Cape Town. 

He explained that he fused a mixture of terracotta - a hard, brownish-red, clay-based ceramic; natural stones, and porcelain tiling to make it contemporary and represent a blending of the new and old. 

"I used the same block design on the ground outside of the centre in the mosaic to fuse it, more like an architect," he said.

Darren Rahme, owner of the gallery, said that he wanted the Archbishop's legacy to live on in the art piece for generations to come, and wants to support local artists to make a difference for the Mother City.

"What a beautiful man this was - he was always smiling and kind, and that is what inspired us to donate this piece," Mr Rahme said.

Janet Jobson, CEO of the foundation, said that the installation would stand as a lasting tribute to the late Archbishop's extraordinary legacy of justice, reconciliation, joy, and hope. 

"It really is an artwork that so embodies aliveness, his humour, his joy, and we think of the way in which mosaic comes together really as expressing our collective humanity," she said. 

She said that this would be the legacy they would like to take forward annually on the Archbishop's birthday, October 7, adding that it was not only a time to reflect but also an invitation to ask: "How do we carry forward the torch of his legacy?".