I am using Sverchok Add-On in Blender to help me to make this procedurally.

For the sculpture, I am not using Nelson Mandela photograph but I am using a photograph of my brother who recently passed away at young age. I truly admire him for his passions and rebelious life.

While I spent most of time with computer graphics and Blender 3D, my brothermade more friends and socializing, I guess that is important too. It sucks that he got heart condition though.

I guess you can use image of a person or a character you admire and recreate this sculpture as 3D print or Augmented Reality AR.