Two incredibly talented Hermanus residents painted a stunning mural of the Late Desmond Tutu to honour all he did for South Africa.
Hermanus, South Africa (29 March 2023) – Not many people will know this, but the Late Desmond Tutu had a place in his heart for the small Western Cape town of Hermanus. He and his wife retired there in 2017 and it was there that he lived until his passing in 2021.
The community also hold the inspiring South African close to its heart. It was this reason that inspired artist Matthew Kearns (aka Lucky Friday) to start a project that would honour his memory.
Kearns had thought of doing a design for the town’s bus stops but a chance meeting inspired the mural to be placed in the Hermanus CBD instead. Kearns was driving one day when he blew out a tyre, just outside the Peregrine Farm Stall. It was here he met a group from the Volmoed Youth Leadership Training Programme and Director Rev Edwin Arrison. The group had stopped for refreshments after visiting the Desmond Tutu exhibition in Cape Town. It so happens that Tutu was also the patron of the training programme before his passing.
It is as if the stars aligned, or serendipity if you like, but Kearns meeting Rev Arrison was something special. The pair spoke about Tutu with such joy and fondness. Rev Arrison loved the idea of Kearns doing a mural and encouraged him to place it somewhere prominent. Before leaving, a young man handed Kearns his copy of the flyer given at the Desmond Tutu exhibition.
Kearns started the process of getting the mural approved. He approached the Desmond Tutu Foundation with his proposed design and they approved it. He then got approval to place the mural within the Hermanus Waterfront, a popular tourist hotspot. When news got out, he received paint sponsors and Rev Arrison encouraged him to reach out to local artist Lutho Nyatela for assistance with the project.
It turns out that Lutho was the very same young man that parted with his Desmond Tutu flyer weeks earlier. He was eager to partner on the mural with Kearns. Together they spent several days priming the wall to make sure it was the perfect canvas for their art.
The mural was officially revealed to the community on the 21st of March 2023, Human Rights Day. They have called it “The Arch” and it took the men five days to complete. Rev Jerry Gelant of St Peter’s Church joined the celebrations on the day, led the community in prayer and blessed the mural.
They finished off the mural with a quote from the Late Desmond Tutu that we can all carry with us today.
“If you want peace, you don’t talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.” – Desmond Tutu