Beyond the Wall: Esther Mahlangu and Ndebele Culture

Black Liquid Art is inaugurating its Rome venue with an exhibition dedicated to Esther Mahlangu, one of the most iconic figures in contemporary African art. This event offers the opportunity to connect with the work of one of the most powerful voices in South African art, capable of blending Ndebele tradition with modernity, taking her cultural message beyond the confines of time and space.
Esther Mahlangu, an internationally renowned painter, has participated in some of the most significant global art exhibitions, from Magiciens de la Terre to Africa Remix, and her works are included in major institutions, museums, and private collections around the world. Her art is deeply appreciated not only internationally but also in her homeland, South Africa, where she is a prominent figure. Starting from her hometown, Mabhoko, Esther has traveled extensively to share the Ndebele painting tradition, bringing her culture to the world.
Following tradition, Esther Mahlangu began painting at a young age under the guidance of her grandmother and mother. Originally, Ndebele paintings were intended to decorate houses and were renewed during male rites of passage. This painting tradition was exclusively entrusted to women, symbolizing the profound link between art and culture in the Ndebele community.
Today, Esther Mahlangu has expanded this practice by teaching Ndebele art to young boys in her tribe. As she mentioned in an interview with Antonella Pisilli, her goal is to preserve and spread her community's culture, creating a small army of artists capable of decorating places worldwide with the Ndebele style.
Ndebele paintings are characterized by formal geometric modules, with a predominant use of triangular shapes, strict symmetry, vivid colors, and bold black lines on a white background. This visual language, which may seem spontaneous and intuitive, actually represents an elaborate phenomenology of form. In Mahlangu’s art, abstraction takes precedence over the figurative, leading her work toward a universal dimension akin to the pure concepts of abstraction, similar to those valued by Suprematists. In this context, the sensitivity of forms becomes the essence of art itself.
Esther Mahlangu has managed to adapt these traditional geometries to modern and unconventional mediums: from canvases to cars, airplanes to design objects. In 1991, she created the first “African Art Car,” decorating a BMW 525i with typical Ndebele motifs, a project that marked her rise on the international scene. Later, in 1997, she painted the tails of British Airways airplanes, and in 2007 she collaborated with Fiat to decorate the new Fiat 500 for the Why Africa? exhibition in Turin.
The artist has also collaborated with fashion and design brands: in 2021, she worked with a Swedish brand to create a limited-edition sneaker called Eytys, and in 2022 she participated in a campaign promoted by singer John Legend, decorating a special edition bottle of Belvedere Vodka. The profits from this initiative were donated to the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.
In 2023, Esther collaborated again with BMW, creating the interiors of the BMW 7 Series, presented at the Frieze Art Fair in London, with proceeds donated to charity.
Among her recent participations, Esther Mahlangu exhibited her works at the Venice Biennale in 2024, contributing to a special project on indigenous art and its role in the contemporary world. In 2023, she was the central figure in the Africa Now exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA), celebrated as one of the most influential African artists in the global art scene. In 2024, she was the focus of a major retrospective at the Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town, a tribute to her long career and impact on contemporary art.
The exhibition is accompanied by a video with an interview with the artist by Antonella Pisilli, who offered an intimate view of her work and her life as an extraordinary ambassador of Ndebele art.