John Meyer: Nelson Mandela – A Life in Portraits

An incredible exhibition celebrating the life of Nelson Mandela through John Meyer’s portrait series of paintings.

Register to attend

Hero Carousel

An incredible exhibition celebrating the life of Nelson Mandela through John Meyer’s portrait series of paintings.

Register to attend

About the exhibition

The University of East London presents Mandela: A Life's Journey, delivered in partnership with East London Arts, Between People Gallery, The Blue Sky Network, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture of the Republic of South Africa and Everard Read Gallery. The exhibition features a series of 16 monumental paintings by John Meyer that traces the life of Nelson Mandela from his childhood in the Eastern Cape to his emergence as one of the world's most respected statesmen. Rather than presenting a straightforward historical record, artist John Meyer adopts a cinematic, narrative approach, capturing pivotal moments alongside quieter, deeply personal scenes that reveal Mandela's humanity.

Register to attend

Boyhood by John Meyer
Image captionBoyhood by John Meyer

Commissioned by businessman Andrew Dunn, the collection took three years to complete. Each work is created in acrylic and sand on canvas, with the textured surfaces adding depth and atmosphere to the storytelling. The paintings explore Mandela as a child, lawyer, activist, prisoner, statesman and global icon, while deliberately avoiding overt political commentary in favour of portraying the man behind the legend. Meyer has said he wanted to explore "the private world" of Mandela's life and the emotions that shaped him.

A distinctive feature of the collection is its circular narrative. The exhibition begins and ends in Mandela's homeland in the Eastern Cape, symbolising a complete life's journey. Between these two "bookend" paintings are scenes depicting defining moments, including his legal career, his love of boxing and jazz, his years as South Africa's President, and his meetings with international figures such as Bill Clinton and Queen Elizabeth II. The result is a visual biography that balances public history with intimate reflection.

The collection was created in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Foundation and has been exhibited in South Africa before touring internationally. 

Nelson Mandela by John Meyer
Image captionNelson Mandela by John Meyer

In-Conversation Sessions: 50th Anniversary of Soweto Uprising ’76 and Mandela’s Birthday 2026

  • Tuesday 21 July: In Conversation with Soweto Generation Photography
  • Wednesday 22 July: In Conversation with African Intellectualism
  • Thursday 23 July: In Conversation with South Africa’s Imprisoned Society & Special Tribute to Abdullah Ibrahim

Register for the in-conversation sessions

 

About the artist

John Meyer is a leading South African contemporary realist painter, widely recognised for his representational style and his ability to combine technical precision with powerful storytelling. Although rooted in realism, his work is informed by modernist ideas and often explores history, identity and the human experience through richly layered narrative paintings.

Over a career spanning more than five decades, Meyer has produced landscapes, portraits and figurative works, alongside a number of major themed series. These include paintings exploring the Nelson Mandela, the Second Boer War, migration, Queen Elizabeth II and humanity's relationship with the planet. Rather than depicting isolated moments, many of his paintings unfold as visual narratives, encouraging viewers to consider broader historical and social themes.

Meyer is regarded as one of the foremost realist painters in Southern Africa. His work has been exhibited extensively in South Africa and internationally and has earned acclaim for its combination of meticulous technique and emotional depth.

Explore the artworks

Mandela: A Life's Journey by Artist John Meyer

 

Presenting it with:

  • University of East London
  • Between People Gallery
  • Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, Republic of South Africa
  • South African High Commission London, United Kingdom
  • Everard Read

Share

When

Where

Between People Gallery

Between People Gallery is an institutional art space that showcases higher education group exhibitions as well as invited established artists, curated by it's team of co-directors. It houses a UEL art collection that tours its campuses, as well as managing multiple events and symposiums relating to practice-based research.

How to find us 

Address: 2 - 4 University Way, Docklands Campus, AVA building, E16 2RD
Open: 10am - 5pm, Monday - Friday

By public transport: The Docklands campus is served by the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), with trains running every 5-10 minutes from the Cyprus station.

You can also get the Elizabeth Line and change at Custom House. Bus routes serving Docklands include the 101, 173, 262, 300, 366, 376, 474 and N551.

By road: The campus is accessible via the A12, A13 roads, and the A406 London circular.

Parking is not available for students during peak hours (8am-5pm, Monday-Friday), although Blue Badge holders can apply for a peak hours parking permit. All students can apply for an off-peak parking permit, allowing them to use the campus car parks at Docklands and Stratford outside these times.

Between People gallery logo

Share