Images of Human Rights print portfolio – Great African Steps window application

The Images of Human Rights portfolio – Great African Steps window application, comprising 29 sandblasted images by 27 South African artists from all nine provinces, offers creative interpretations of each of the 27 fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution, along with a front and back cover. Its diverse artistic approaches reflect the richness and complexity of South African creativity.

Based on a print portfolio (see here: https://ccac.concourttrust.org.za/artwork-series/images-of-human-rights), gifted through Justice Albie Sachs at the Durban Art Gallery, where the portfolio was first shown, on 10 December 1996 (International Human Rights Day). Each window panel, located on the west façade of the Constitutional Court building along the Great African Steps, presents the text of the constitutional right alongside the artist’s interpretation, creating a permanent, visible dialogue between art, law, and public space.

Originally applied as vinyl around 2004, the panels deteriorated over time. In March 2023, the vinyl was replaced with sandblasted imagery, a durable, conservation-appropriate solution that ensures the artworks remain legible, seamlessly embedded in the Court’s architecture, and impactful for the thousands of visitors ascending the Great African Steps.