July is Mandela month. While university museum staff work remotely from home, the University of Pretoria (UP) Museums delved into the university’s art collection for works featuring our beloved Madiba. We share three sculpture works of this South African icon on our new online art puzzle platform. The challenge lies for those staying at home to try a Mandela puzzle, comprising of 67 pieces to put together.

Three artworks of the Late President Nelson Mandela were chosen from the UP Museums art collection by South African artists: Zelda Stroud’s bronze portrait titled, Nelson Mandela (2017); Mike Edwards, President Nelson Mandela 1 (1988) created in cemcrete and a standing figure by Claudette Schreuders (1973) titled, Mandela (2017) a Chine collé lithograph on paper.

To commemorate this international day, the UP Museum’s make several lockdown suggestions of some good deeds to contribute your 67 minutes on 18 July 2020. Think culture, think green, donate or help someone are just small gestures that we can all do for humanity. We suggest 15 ways you can spend your time on this day. If you are self-isolating and social distancing and find yourself alone, completing an online puzzle is known to be a helping, destressing and relaxing process. This initiative is unique, so take time to complete a Nelson Mandela puzzle to challenge yourself. Alternatively, create a more difficult 200-piece Mandela puzzle which may take up all 67 minutes to finish. 

Mandela spent 67 years making this world a better place and his birthday is celebrated worldwide on 18 July. While you try your hand and brain skills at piecing together Mandela, each minute reflects upon each year Mandela served South Africa. Mandela's immense international campaign began for human rights and demonstrated that one man had the power to change the world.

#MandelaDay 

Three new art puzzles of Nelson Mandela are available here.