Ndebele art on the global stage

SOUTH African artist Esther Mahlangu is not just an icon in art circles but also in the automotive world, where her Ndebele-inspired Art Cars have wowed the world for decades.

- JASON WOOSEY

Traditionally, Ndebele women decorate the outside of their homes with continuous patterns in bright colours, each panel celebrating an event in the history of the family that lives there. However, Mahlangu has put these decorations and patterns into new contexts, including pictures, vessels, carpets and vehicles.

In 1991, Mahlangu was the first woman ever invited to create a BMW Art Car, which saw her design a 525i sedan decorated with the bright colours and geometrical shapes characteristic of Ndebele artwork.