His “garden” – more rock than blossoms – consisted of boulders that he painted with bright colours and geometric shapes.

Mabusa apparently described how, if one stood on the crest of the mountain, keeping the stones aligned with a boulder near his home painted with a zebra haunch, the rocks look like flowers tumbling from heaven – hence the name, “Garden of Flowers”.

Since his death the garden has been recognised as a highly unusual and important work of art.

Mabusa’s work has subsequently been featured in exhibitions and has become the subject of publications locally and globally, including John Maizel’s book Raw Creation: Outsider art and Beyond (1996).

It is said that when Nukain Mabusa became bored with his surroundings he painted colourful, decorative patterns to brighten it up.

He started off by decorating two chairs, then moved on to decorating his hut and finally painting the boulders close to where he stayed. He saw no boundaries when it came to what he could paint on.

The stone garden, which became weathered under the African sun over the years, has been selected by the South African Heritage Resources Agency in Mpumalanga to be restored to its former glory.

From: Kruger Lowveld Tourism

Image: South Africa Tourism