Trinity

The stools convey human companionship even in the incarceration of Robben Island, bringing together Nelson Mandela, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe and Govan Mbeki in a configuration reminiscent of an ‘amaphakhati,’ a meeting of elders able to resolve conflict through consensus borne of patient, dignified debate. They become a ‘Trinity,’ a mysterious union of personhood through relationship and community.