Lungelo Gumede, one talented South African based artist has caught so many people’s attention with his surreal hand-made wax sculptures of live and dead celebrities, politicians and prominent faces across the world.

The sculptures look so real, one would think they have life in them.

Lungelo Gumede with Ricky Rick sculpture (Image Credit: Daily Sun/ Rich & Famous South Africa)

Some social media commentaries have equated his work to raising the dead to life.

The Durban based artist recently turned heads with a life-sized wax sculpture of the late Ricky Rick.

iHarare reported that the life-sized wax figure was so real the deceased’s family had to reach out to the Lungelo and asked him not to show off his work to the public.

Man Who ‘Raises Dead Celebrities From The Dead’ In South Africa

According to Lungelo, he was willing to showcase the sculpture for free as a tribute to the late Ricky Rick.

He thinks the family reached out to him because when they look at the statue they feel like it is him in person and that brings back painful memories of Ricky.

A collection of sculptures in his bedroom gallery was recently released on social media by one comedian, Sizwe Mdlalose.

Watch video of sculptures below;

https://t.co/rsHuJnZ4KO

It features a number of prominent public figures, both dead and alive, including Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela, Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth II, among many.

Sfiso Ncwane sculpture made by his brother Lungelo Gumede

Lungelo has been one of the prominent artists in South Africa. He has managed to export his work to the United States. In 2020 he successfully ran his first ever exhibition in the US in Hollywood’s Exact Science Museum.

He is currently working on building the first wax-sculpture museum in South Africa