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CONTROVERSIAL: Vusi Beauchamp has painted this image of late AWB leader Eugene Terre'Blanche.

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Beauchamp's latest work shows the late Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) leader Eugene Terre'Blanche with his murderer, Chris Mahlangu, on his lap.

The piece was created in February for an exhibition -The State of Chakra - that will take place in August.

In the painting Mahlangu sits comfortably on Terre'Blanche's lap, while the former right-wing leader is reading the Bible.

Beauchamp, who is known for producing "challenging and emotional" works, says his interest in the AWB leader's murder case drove him to paint the piece.

He says the painting is actually trying to question the possibility that Mahlangu's allegations of sodomy might be true.

"I was at home watching the news when the story of Terre'Blanche's murder was shown. That is when the idea of painting this work hit me.

"I know the court did not find any evidence of sodomy, but I could not stop asking myself: what if the sexual encounter had happened? Anything is possible," Beauchamp says.

"I portrayed Terre'Blanche reading the Bible because we all know that right-wingers always claim they are superior to blacks," Beauchamp said.

"In my painting the Bible is a sign of power. Right-wingers use the Bible to justify racism.

"They really consider themselves a superior race. The state of chakra examines how the ills that were inherited from our past affect our present.

"This is a conundrum we seem incapable of escaping even after 18 years of democracy."

Beauchamp says the painting was bought last week by local comedian John Vlismas.

Mahlangu was last week found guilty of killing Terre'Blanche.

Comments

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Sun May 19 14:06:47 SAST 2013 ::

May 31, 2012

MGEEZ

You are a stirrer wena.
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May 31, 2012

Bodigelo

But there is no penis in the image!
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May 31, 2012

ZUMAMUSTGO

The picture is not clear, is Vusi implying that ET was a pedo?
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May 31, 2012

TheNewFreedomFighter

If the ANC doesn't condemn this as racist, order its people to march against it and start a legal case then I will have to conclude with 100% certainty that the ANC has capitalised on The Spear for its narrow racist and populist policies and to have Jacob "The P e n i s" Zuma re-elected.
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May 31, 2012

mambaaai

HAHAHA the ANC and in particular JZ has created a monster.... in the form of art HAHAHAHA we are gonna see some lovely stuff coming through...... SA the art center of the world................where politicians are painted........ EINAAAAAAAAAAAAAA for some politicians I think......... there are artist that are going to come out of the woodwork we never knew existedd........ plus we saw what happened with the spear court case..... the case was sooo weak the lawyer started crying in court...... wait for it SA we are gonna see some wonderful thought provoking works
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May 31, 2012

tpaz

so last year.....
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May 31, 2012

ancnduntsu

IGNORE MR COPYCAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Unfortunately the AWB does not have bull terriers like Mantashe and Mthembu. Viva "Da Spear"
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May 31, 2012

Doculam

Nice piece of art. Lots of emotion, really good(wont put it in my house though). I just cant help wondering if this artist is not just riding the publicity wave of the spear painting. Cheap promotion for yourself perhaps??
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May 31, 2012

Makhosini0408

Morning ALL

Let us also argue that after all this is art, the artist is exercising his freedom of expression or rights?

My view, is that despite what Tereblance did and the way he was killed, this painting is unfortunate as the family is still dealing with the loss, especially after the trial. What happened to our sense of empathy and compassion?

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May 31, 2012

Pointman

@Doculum - read the article - it was painted in february.
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