Durban — When Esay Reddy first saw a life-sized statue of peace icon Mahatma Gandhi at the Verulam Day and Frail Care Centre last week, she knew that she had to have it.
So when the creation made of wax was auctioned at a fund-raising dinner for the centre, Reddy made sure to outbid other buyers and secure the first of its kind Gandhi sculpture created by renowned artist Dr Lungelo Gumede.
“I think the reason people think I’m attracted to the statue is because of who Gandhi was and the values he epitomised, and while that is wonderful, the real reason I’m attracted to it is because of how realistic and beautifully crafted it is,” Reddy said.
“I’m just fascinated by the intricate work and details, even on his hands, which shows life-like veins and fingers. For me, this work of art is amazing, and the fact that the statue was made by our extremely talented local artist is the reason I wanted it.”
Reddy, the group CEO of KZN Oils, wants to keep the statue in the firm’s reception hall where it can be admired.
“There’s a funny story about the reaction of my receptionist when the wax figure was brought in on Monday. The statue was covered when it arrived so she didn’t get to see what it was until she went into my late husband Rajen’s office and thought she saw a real person.
“She knows that no one is allowed to go into his office and so when I arrived at work she told me that someone was waiting in there and that I should check who it was, only to find that it was the statue. It just goes to show how realistic the statue is,” Reddy said.
Similar in height to Gandhi and draped in his trademark shawl, it took Gumede three weeks to perfect his creation following a commission from the KwaZulu-Natal International Business Forum (KIBF). While he has sculpted many statues of African leaders, this was his first attempt at Gandhi.
Gumede said he spent hours going through photos from the internet, studying Gandhi’s features and watching several videos on YouTube to get the most accurate depiction.
“As much as it’s a talent being able to create the statues, it’s also a lot of hard work. You have to study the person and look at the dimensions of the figure and how the statue would look with other people around it.
“There’s definitely more time spent researching than it takes to actually do the work,” said Gumede.
He received a call about a month ago from KIBF who wanted the statue made for two special reasons. The one was to commemorate the anniversary of the arrival of indentured Indians in South Africa and the other to provide financial aid for the Verulam Day and Frail Care Centre.
The centre has been struggling to keep its doors open owing to a lack of funding. But through the generosity of business people like Reddy, who was moved by the plight of the elderly who rely on the centre’s services, more than R2million was raised through ticket sales and other proceeds from the fund-raising dinner.
KIBF president Omie Singh said the commission for the statue was informed by the role Gandhi played between India and South Africa and in light of the 163rd anniversary of the arrival of indentured Indians in South Africa.
“Gandhi was seen as a conduit between India and South Africa and we thought a statue would serve two purposes. The first was to commemorate the 163-year anniversary and the second to auction it to raise funds for the centre. So it has served its purpose.”
Sunday Tribune