Amid the hills of South Africa’s Eastern Cape, a tree stands surrounded by face-brick buildings of the Nelson Mandela School of Science and Technology, the first high school in the village of Mvezo. Tree of Wisdom pays tribute to the community’s most esteemed son; Nelson Mandela, born here in 1918.

“The sculpture represents the knowledge and wisdom of Madiba and what is possible when the human imagination and technology come together,” says Popper.

Reaching to the sky, the Tree of Wisdom represents continued growth, the cultivation of knowledge, and a commitment to sustainability. As dusk falls each evening, the work is lit up against the night, so it becomes a guiding light in the surrounding darkness.

The galvanised steel structure is surrounded by benches – each carved with inspirational quotes – serving as both a symbol of Mandela’s ideals and a gathering place for learners. “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world,” Mandela once said. This, along with many of his other memorable quotes, are inscribed into the granite base at the foot of the tree.

Popper’s Tree of Wisdom stands – a symbol of continued hope for future generations of learners still to come. “Like Mandela’s legacy,” the artist says, “this sculpture will last forever.”