‘Too soon’: Riky Rick’s Family Tells Sculptor To Take Down His Wax Statue.
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‘Too soon’: Riky Rick’s Family Tells Sculptor To Take Down His Wax Statue.
To honor the late hip-hop artist Ricky Rick, Lungelo Gumede created a wax statue of him.
He then shared the photos on social media, inviting people to see the statue for free.
RICKY RICK’S FAMILY, ON THE OTHER HAND, WAS DISAPPOINTED, AND LUNGELO GUMEDE, A DURBAN SCULPTOR, WAS REPRIMANDED.
The family requested that he not display the statue in public, stating that it was too soon for them.
Lungelo Gumede, on the other hand, is baffled as to why he was told to stop exhibiting his work as an artist, particularly that of a public figure such as Riky.
He stated that while he respects the family and has taken the photos down from social media, he believes Riky Rick’s family should not be upset about the statue because their son was a public figure.
“They allowed Big Zulu to record a tribute song for him. They also allowed Rasta to draw him at his funeral. Why shouldn’t I be allowed to do my work on him as an artist? I fail to understand. But maybe they felt the wax statue was real when they saw it on social media. When one looks at the wax statue, it’s like they are looking at the real him. It feels like he is still alive,” said Lungelo.
After the family contacted Lungelo, he said he covered it. However, Ricky Rick’s fans flocked to the statue, requesting photos with it.
Lungelo, on the other hand, would not allow it because he owed the family respect.
“When I deleted the photos, over 800 people had already shared them. When they called me, hundreds of fans had already taken photos with the statue. It’s beyond their control now. But the question is, what about my artistic work? What about my time that I’ve put into this project? Some things are not fair,” said Lungelo.
Riky’s brother, who went by the name Themba, was contacted by a local publication.
“We’re still in mourning,” he said. As a result, this event has come too soon for us.”
“I wish not to comment further,” Themba said when asked about Lungelo’s concern that they allowed Big Zuluto to record a tribute song and Rasta to draw a portrait. “We are bereaved.”
Lungelo is well-known for his wax statues of celebrities, politicians, and prominent religious figures.
At his funeral, he also created a wax statue of his brother-in-law, Sfiso Ncwane, which was placed next to his coffin.
At his workplace, there are also statues of former President Nelson Mandela and Black Coffee.
He claims that his family doesn’t understand what he does.
