Mandela, who continues to be a prominent voice for the struggling poor of his land, is the first person of such prominence Gordon has depicted in his artwork, though he has done other portraits before.

He explained to our newspaper that the facial expression on the wooden embodiment of Mandela reveals him in a pensive mood.

?He is figuring out how he will lead his people, how he will make them comfortable, how he will satisfy the ones who are really in poverty? Africa is wealthy, but still there are a lot of poor areas where many are suffering. He is focusing on how to make his move, to take care of people in bondage??

Incidentally, an Associated Press (AP) news report today, February 3, speaks of Mandela?s unrelenting crusade in aid of the poor.

?Nelson Mandela on Thursday compared widespread poverty in developing countries to man-made evils such as slavery and apartheid, and urged wealthy nations to do more to fight it,? said the AP report. Mandela was reportedly speaking to a group of over 20,000 at a public rally in London, where the finance ministers of the G7 industrial nations meet later this week. The AP report also said that Mandela had commented that developed nations must provide more aid to poor countries and lift their crippling debts.

Gordon told Amandala that the young people, many of whom look up to Mandela, inspired the Mandela sculpture.

?A lot of them look up to men like Mandela, through the struggle, after all [the struggle for] his rights and all that he believed in, they had to jail him, and yet after that he came out and went direct to presidency?? said Gordon. ?We have a lot of the youths around who are not really putting their academic or natural, God-given talents to use. By doing this [sculpture], maybe a few of them will take pattern and I could become a role model for a few of them??

He said that those youths interested in learning the trade could contact him at his studio, located at #20 Victoria Street, Belize City.