South African retrospective exhibition honors the colorful work of artist Esther Mahlangu

[December 28, 2024]  By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A boldly patterned BMW stands at the entrance of the Wits Arts Museum in the vibrant Johannesburg neighborhood of Braamfontein.

Its bright geometric shapes are part of 89-year-old South African artist Esther Mahlangu ’s unmistakable style. The car is the centerpiece of an exhibition honoring her and her work.

The BMW, commissioned by the German manufacturer in 1991, is among Mahlangu’s most well-known works and has been returned to South Africa this year after more than 30 years abroad.

Exhibition curator Nontobeko Ntombela also has included pieces that document the struggles of Nelson Mandela, who was released after almost three decades in prison and became South Africa's first Black president when the country transitioned from white minority rule to democracy in 1994.

These include a letter Mahlangu wrote to Mandela thanking him for the sacrifices he made for the country.

She is respected for persevering with art at a time when Black artists, especially women, were hardly acknowledged.

“Mahlangu dared to travel an uncharted path during a time when Black women artists were systemically overlooked. I hope when people see just how much she has done, they will realize the magnitude of what she has offered to the arts,” Ntombela said.

The retrospective also includes a documentary about the artist, where she tells the story of her rural upbringing and her Ndebele culture.

For decades, Mahlangu has used her talent to promote that culture, becoming arguably the southern African ethnic group's most recognized representative.
 

Renowned South African artist Esther Mahlangu's iconic BMW 525i is seen on display at the Wits Arts Museum in Johannesburg, South Africa, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/ Mogomotsi Magome)

Ntombela said much of the publicly available information about Mahlangu tends to repeat the same narratives, including her first international show in Paris in 1989.

“Some tend to overly emphasize the culture without the balance of discussing her work as an art form. The exhibition tries to complicate this and hopefully offers an opportunity of how her art moves across these different fields and disciplines," the curator said.

Some of the artworks showing umgwalo, or traditional Ndebele painting, were borrowed from collections locally and abroad. Ntombela said it took about two years to secure them.

“Numerous works are under the ownership of international collectors, so we needed a lot of funds to bring a lot of her work back to South Africa,” she said.

Mahlangu is a recipient of one of South Africa's highest national awards, the Order of Ikhamanga in silver, which is awarded by the head of state.

She briefly attended the launch of the exhibition last month but lives quietly in Mpumalanga province, where her colorfully decorated home remains an attraction for local and international tourists.

The exhibition will run until April 17 before it embarks on an international tour starting in the United States in early 2026.

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