Federal Sculpture Project:
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., South Africa

In 1989, Zenos Frudakis traveled to South Africa for the dedication of his life size bronze bust of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The bust was smuggled into South Africa by diplomatic pouch. "I was told by our government that I was taking a risk in bringing the sculpture into South Africa during apartheid, and that I might possibly be joining Mr. Mandela, breaking rocks, in prison," Zenos explains the dangers during the time of apartheid.  "I was excited at the idea of having my bust of Dr. King positioned just inside the U.S. Embassy’s outdoor fence, visible to the public but outside South African government reach, in a place where it might do some good for the cause of ending apartheid. I did not breathe easy until my return flight, when my plane left South African air space."

Federal Sculpture Project
Size: Life size
Media: Bronze
Location: Pretoria, South Africa
Collections: U.S. Embassy, Pretoria, South Africa