Former patron of the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, was immortalised on 25 March when a unique artwork created in his likeness was unveiled at the University of Stellenbosch.
Gavin Rain, an artist from Cape Town, has held exhibitions in the Mother City, Johannesburg, Venice, Chicago and others. He ordinarily works on a large canvas with small circles, each of which typically contains concentric circles in five different colours. Whilst based on the same principals of light and dark, the commissioned work featured a new technique not seen anywhere else in the world. The work was made up of 1,098 individual circles, each representing a dot in Rain’s signature style — and each one engraved with a message from the SICMF community. Instead of using colour, the circles were mounted at mathematically calculated angles, thus allowing light and shadow to create an image of the beloved Archbishop when viewed from a distance.
When asked about the conception of the idea, the SICMF’s Artistic Director Nina Schumann said, “I was thinking about the sense of community that the SICMF has created – how it resonates with so many people in such different ways – and I wanted to come up with something that reflected that togetherness, and that could be lasting. Then I thought of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, and the idea of an artwork made of messages popped up in my head! I met Gavin when I was at school and have been a huge admirer of his work. When I contacted him in January last year, he told me the concept was impossible to realise, but that he is all in! The artwork takes on special significance because it is the effort of every individual in the SICMF that contributes to the beauty of the whole.”
Messages from past participants, performing artists, regular audience members and supporters from the last two decades had their messages integrated into this one-of-a-kind tribute.
Desmond Tutu first collaborated with the SICMF in 2013 when he narrated a poignant performance of Peter Louis van Dijk’s “Selfish Giant” with the Festival Concert Orchestra. Following the performance, he became a patron of the SICMF and said “It gives so much hope for our children… It says wow, we have such fantastic potential. What an amazing country we have it in us to become…”
The unveiling of the 20-year legacy artwork was celebrated with another performance of “The Selfish Giant” on 25 March 2026 at the site of the newly erected artwork outside the Stellenbosch University Konservatorium Building. Son of the composer, Xandi van Dijk, travelled from Munich to conduct a full symphony orchestra of SICMF affiliates, the Cape Town Opera Children’s chorus, bass/baritone soloist, Conroy Scott and narrator John Woodland.
The free concert formed part of the Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium and was presented with the support of the Endler Concert Series.
