South Africa. He was a law student
who was arrested at a roadblock in
his own country for not having the
proper papers to travel to another
city. He was beaten to death in a jail
cell and was portrayed by Denzel
Washington in the movie “Cry Free-
dom.” Steve Biko was an artist, in his
own way, as all of us are. He created
ideas and dreams, and tried to share
them nonviolently to help others. For
this he was jailed and murdered. He
lost his freedom and his life because
he dreamed and shared.
“All good and effective art is the encapsulation of
empathy and the sharing of that empathy across time.”
“Earth Angels.” I created this bronze
as a tribute to all those who do service
work for others in need. It illustrates
the concept of humanitarianism. The
essence of any humanitarian act is
the lifting up of another human being
so they can fly free.
IMAGINE: What do you wish to
convey to up and coming artists?
John: In the beginning of my career
as a struggling young artist with no
clue how to proceed, very few profes-
sional artists would even talk to me. I
had to figure many things out on my
own. I promised myself that if I ever
made it I would help others by teach-
ing and by sharing my inventions,
tools and techniques. This sharing
has been a rewarding part of my life. I
would advise newer artists to do their
best to follow excellence, but make
sure to also give back to their world
by involvement with some important
social causes or social issues. I believe
that if you are selfish, your art will
be selfish and limited. But if you give
back, if you help others, both you and
your art will continue to evolve and
grow to greatness.
Clockwise from top left: “Steel Butterflies,” “Way of
the Warrior,” Archbishop Desmond Tutu presenting
the “Freedom Award” to one of five heros who fought
against slavery, “Steve Biko,” “Earth Angels.”
IMAGINE
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