Desmond Tutu Bronze Bust by Carol Bryant

This bust is the one sculpture in the exhibition that departs from wildlife, and the story behind it explains why Carol Bryant made an exception. She met Archbishop Desmond Tutu over breakfast after early service at St George's Cathedral in Cape Town. When she told him she sculpted for a living, he laughed and challenged her to get his nose right, a feature he said no one had managed before.

She took the challenge seriously. The finished bronze took considerable work, and both the Archbishop and his wife Leah were pleased with the likeness once it was cast. That portrait, and the friendship behind it, sits at the centre of this piece.

Bronze suits a portrait bust for the same reasons it suits Bryant's animal work; it holds fine detail and ages well outdoors or indoors. This cast stands 47 cm tall and is available to buy throughout 'Where the wild things come to rest', the artist's exhibition at Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate, on show from 2 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. A smaller maquette version of the same sculpture is also part of the collection for buyers who prefer a more compact piece.

From the Artist

"This sculpture is my only departure from the animal form. It came about over Friday morning breakfast with the Archbishop and others after early service in St George's Cathedral in Cape Town. Desmond Tutu asked me what I did for a living, and when I said I was a sculptor, he laughed and told me nobody could get his nose right. I offered to try, and quite a long time later, after much blood, sweat and tears on my part, he and his wife Leah were delighted with the result." 

Details

• Material: Bronze
• Dimensions: 47 x 25 x 45 cm (L x W x H)
• Weight: 16 kg
• Price: On enquiry

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