Artist Lungelo Gumede plans Africa's first wax museum

South African artist Lungelo Gumede (born 1985 in Durban) aims to establish the first wax museum on the African continent, entirely created by a single artist. Inspired by a visit to Madame Tussauds in New York, Gumede began sculpting wax figures after studying visual art and sculpture at the Bat Center Residency Program in 2003. He has created statues of local figures like former Durban mayor Obed Mlaba and King Goodwill Zwelithini, as well as pop culture icons such as Michael Jackson. Gumede's work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans (2007, 2008) where he was the only non-US artist, and at the Exact Science Gallery in Hollywood, California (2015). A key project is a series of 27 statues of Nelson Mandela to commemorate the centenary of his birth; only 12 have been completed so far. Gumede cites lack of funds and sponsorships as the main obstacle to realizing the museum.