Nelson Mandela, the revered statesman who emerged from prison after 27 years to lead South Africa out of decades of apartheid, passed away on December 5, 2013. Few men in the history of mankind have had more impact on a nation and inspired the world like the former president.
Shortly before he retreated from public life in 2011, Mandela participated in photographer Adrian Steirn’s 21 Icons project - a photographic and short film series profiling the men and women who shaped modern South Africa.
“We were lucky enough to have incredible access to Nelson Mandela,” Adrian says. “He was shown the concept of the project about three years ago, and he really liked what he saw. He saw the photographs, a lot of these people were his friends. And it was something that, I think, he really wanted to be involved in.”
The photo shoot would become one of the last portrait-sittings with the former leader.