Hillcrest’s Willman walks in Madiba’s footsteps
Matthew's collection of work is now central to the Mandela Centre of Memory and Presidential Library in Johannesburg.
SOUTH Africa’s anti-apartheid revolutionary, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela’s struggles and victories may have become a faded memory to some, but his remarkable legacy continues to live on through individuals such as Matthew Willman, a photographer and unconventional adventurer, who is an embodiment of what Tata Madiba lived for.
Living in the heart of Hillcrest, Willman welcomed the Highway Mail into his home and world when he shared riveting details about his journey as a documentarian, author and most importantly, his work as a commissioned photographer to the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Seated on his couch, surrounded by walls adorned with his captivating celebrity portraits and a glass table filled with sentimental memorabilia, Willman revealed how his chapter as Mandela’s commissioned photographer began, the life lessons he learnt from Madiba and his vision to enrich the lives of others.
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The year 2003 marked the beginning of a life-changing experience for Willman when he was offered the opportunity to become Mandela’s commissioned photographer, a role that included archiving and documenting the life, times and legacy of Madiba.
Mandela’s journey was documented photographically at places that held historical value to his life such as: Robben Island, Qunu, Nveso, The Inanda Heritage and the State Archives in Pretoria.
Speaking about his treasured conversations with Mandela, Willman’s deep love and respect for Madiba came through powerfully when he said, “One day, I was seated with Mandela and I asked him for some advice on the path I needed to take. Mandela never answered a question he thought he wasn’t qualified to answer, but he knew he had to answer me. His response to me was, ‘Matthew, if you want to be relevant, you must serve’.”
This piece of cherished advice inspired Willman to look outwards and fulfil his vision to enrich the lives of others. This led to the establishment of The Matthew Willman Arts Trust, in 2011.
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The trust is a charity that strives to make an invaluable difference in the lives of individuals and communities through tertiary level educational scholarships and financial grants to young up-and-coming artists.
When asked how South Africans are failing at keeping Mandela’s legacy alive, Willman said, “We are trying to apply his principles in the wrong way. We must not distort the truth. Mandela was a man of action, he was selfless and took nothing for himself. We must always remember Mandela’s greatest legacy to us and that is the constitution that replaced the pillars of apartheid.”
Willman, whose work with Madiba features prominently in five best-selling books, spent Mandela Day in Johannesburg where he photographed former US president, Barack Obama, who visited South Africa for Mandela’s centenary birthday celebrations and delivered the annual Nelson Mandela lecture.
Matthew’s collection of work is now central to the Mandela Centre of Memory and Presidential Library in Johannesburg.
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