CV Esther Mahlangu : vgallery.co.za

Esther Mahlangu ( 1935 -

' Esther Mahlangu is regarded as one of our most important traditional Ndebele artists. She is best known, as the first person to transfer the traditional mural art to canvas and also decorated a BMW motor vehicle with traditional designs. She utilizes feathers, twigs and bundled-twigs as brushes in the traditional way, utilising natural pigment but also works with conventional paints. ' Born 1935 in Middelburg, Mphumalanga, South Africa.
Studies :
She learned the skill of mural painting from her mother and grandmother. Between 1980 - 91 she was a resident at the Botshebelo open air museum, designed to present a view of the Ndebele culture to visitors.
Exhibitions: (info. provided by www.vgallery.co.za)
2012	Overlay ( Solo Exhibition ) 34FineArt, Cape Town
2011	África. Objetos y Sujetos, Teatro Fernán Gómez. Centro de Arte, Madrid, Spain África. Objetos y Sujetos, El Centro Cultural Cajastur Palacio Revillagigedo, Gijon, SpainDurban Tourism Indaba 2011 – Durban, South Africa Museum of Arts and Design in New York. Ensemble - 34 FineArt, Cape Town
2010	New York Museum of Arts and Design ( MAD ) Centro Espositive ST.ART, Calenzano, Italy Carta Intestata Mandela Forum, Italy Africa 2.0 Influx Contemporary Lisbon Portugal FIFA World Football Exhibition, Italy Africa El Centro Cultural Cajastur Palacio Revilla Gigedeo, Spain Jean Pigozzi Recontrez D'Arles 2010, France NEW 3FineArt, Cape Town COOLSTUFF, Cape Town National Museum Centre, Tokyo, Japan Biennale di Milindi, Kenya Galleria Franco Cancelliere, Villa Genovese Sant' Alessio Siculo ( Italy )
2009	3rd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary art MELISSA FEAT Shoe design project House of Palomino, Sao Paulo Group 09 34Long Fine Art, Cape Town ArteTivu, Marcon-Venezia
2008	The Speed Art Museum, December 23, 2007 — March 16, 2008 Denver Museum of Art, April 13 — July 6, 2008 Philadelphia Museum of Art, August 2 — October 2, 2008 New Fiat 500 project Italy ‘Esther Mahlangu: Reacquiring’, Kyle Kauffman Gallery, New York, NY, March 27 – May 10
2007	Berlin and Beyond Art in Public Places, Florida USA Orlando Museum of Art, January 28 — April 22, 2007 The Walters Art Museum, June 17 — August 26, 2007 Tacoma Museum of Art, September 25 — December 9, 2007 34LONG, Cape Town August 7 - September 1 ‘Why Africa?’, Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli , Turin, Italy, October 6, 2007 – February 3, 2008 ‘Not So Black and White: South African Contemporary Art’, Kyle Kauffman Gallery, New York, NY ‘South African Art: Signs’, Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum, Bratislava, Slovakia ‘100% Africa: The Jean Pigozzi Collection of Contemporary Art’, Guggenheim Bilbao, Bilbao, Spain ‘Heritage Arts Award Festival’, Kizo Art Gallery, Durban, South Africa ‘The Winter Show’, Afro Nova, Johannesburg, South Africa
2006	Indianapolis Museum of Art 34 LONG, Cape Town Roppongi Hills Art Museum, Japan
2005	Solo Exhibition - 34 Long, Cape Town National Museum of Art, USA Yokohama Triennale, Japan Museum of Fine Art, Houstin, Texas, USA Arts of Africa, Grimaldi Forum, Monaco - France Project Row Houses, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Texas Contemporary South African Art, Pretoria Art Museum Contemporary South African Art, Johannesburg Art Gallery Galleria Spacia, Italy South Africa - US Native American Exchange Project, Institute of American Indian Arts - Sante FE, NM.
2004	Contemporary South African Art, Museum Bochum, Germany New Orleans Jazz Festival South Africa Stage
2003	Dentro e Fuori le Mura, Fabbrica Eos, Milano, Italy
2003	First Solo Exhibition in South Africa, UCT Irma Stern Museum, Cape Town, South Africa
2002	Passport from S.Africa, Centro Culturale "Trevi", Bolzano Knysna Fine Art Gallery, Knysna
2001	Arte Africana contemporanea, Galleria d'arte Spazia, Bologna, Italy Galleria Cavellini, Brescia, Italy South Africa Today, The Helsinki Fair Centre, Finland
2000	5th Biennale of Contemporary Art in Lyons, France Dialogue of cultures, EXPO 2000, Hannover, Germany
1999	<<REWIND>>FAST FORWARD, Van Reekum Museum, Appeldoorn, Netherlands
1998	Musée des Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie, Paris France Africa Africa, Tobu Museum of Art, Tokyo, Japan
1997	York College Art Gallery, Pennsylvania, USA Ndebele Images Then and Now, National Arts Club, New York, USA Oog op Zuidelijke Afrika, Berg en Dal, Holland Portal to America, Installation, Spoleto Festival, Charelstown, South Carolina, USA African Immigrant Folklife Festival, Washington D.C., USA Exhibit Gallery, Philadelphia, USA Mural for National Museum of Woman in the Arts, Washington D.C., USA Ndebele Images Then and Now, National Arts Club, New York, USA
1996	Parish Gallery - Georgetown, Washington D.C., USA Exhibition for the Congressional Black Caucus, Washington, D.C., USA Armour J. Blackburn Centre, Howard University, Washington, D.C., USA World Bank, Washington, D.C., USA Mural - Ministry of Finance Building, Pretoria, South Africa Mural - Alexandra Township Stadium, Johannesburg
1995	BMW Art Car and paintings Exhibition, Sydney, Australia Group show, Market Theatre, Johannesburg
1994	BMW Art Car Collection, National Museum of Woman in the Arts, Washington D.C., USA Mural for National Museum of Woman in Arts, Washington D.C., USA Mural - Ndebele College of Education, Kwandebele, South Africa Mural - African Festival, Lisbon, Portugal Mural - European Inventive Business Travel Meetings Exhibition, Geneva, Switzerland Out of Africa, Musée des Beaux Arts de Nantes, France
1993	Painted Pillars in Art Gallery, Nantes, France
1992	Fire Screen, Civic Theatre, Johannesburg BMW Art Car, Documentra 9, Kassel, Germany Africa Hoy, Groninger Museum, Holland Africa Hoy, Cultural Centre of Contemporary Art, Mexico City, Mexico Comme des Garçons, Tokyo, Japan; New York, USA and Paris, France Out of Africa, Gallery Saatchi, London, UK
1991	BMW Art Car, Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town Painting Columns in Building, Tokyo, Japan Ny Afrikansk Billed Kunst, Copenhagen, Denmark Caravan( trailer ) Auto Show, Lavante, Paris, France European Inventive Business Travel Meetings Exhibition, Lisboa, Portugal Geneva International Exhibition, Geneva, Switzerland Fashion Collection, Tokyo, Japan Africa Hoy, Centro Atlantico de Arte Moderna, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
1990	Caravan ( trailer ) Auto Show, Lavante, France Bordeaux Festival, Bordeaux, France Mural Painting, Rosebank Shopping Centre, South Africa Mural Painting, Johannesburg School, South Africa
1989	Group show, Centre de la Villette, Paris, France Les Magiciens de la Terre, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France Fine Arts Museum, Angouleme, France Mural Painting, Musée des Beaux Arts – Museum for African Art, Paris, France
Awards:
2006	The Order of Ikhamanga, Silver - Government of South Africa
2001	Arts and Culture Award, Art Promotion
2001	Pan African Broadcasting, Heritage and Achievement Award
2001	Radio Ndebele Award
1999	Mpumalanga Arts and Culture Award
1997	Nassau County, NY, USA, Commondation
1997	Village of Hampstead, NY, USA Citation
1997	Ministry of Culture and Communication, Centre de la Villette, France
1996	Mpumalanga Premiers Award
1988	Radio Ndebele Award
Collections:
Meulensteen Art Museum, Bratislava Johnnic Communications Management Services Collection, Johannesburg National Gallery, Cape Town Musée des Arts d'Afrique et Océanie, Paris, France Bothabelo Museum, South Africa BMW Car Collection, Germany RE:CM Collection, Cape Town Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria Musee des Arts d’Afrique et d’Oceanie, Paris, France Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria, South Africa Museum Bochum, Bochum, Germany Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum, Bratislava, Slovakia Botshabelo Museum, South Africa World Bank Collection, USA BHP Billiton Collection, Johannesburg, South Africa BOE Bank, Cape Town, South Africa Esther's work is also in numerous private collections in South Africa and abroad
Publications: (info. provided by www.vgallery.co.za)
Courtney-Clarke, M. 1986. Ndebele. London: Thames & Hudson. Reprinted in 2002. (ISBN 0-500-28387-7) Loots, AG and De Jager, FR. 2003. Esther Mahlangu. Cape Town: Vgallery. (ISBN 0-620-30600-9) Magnin, A and Soulillou, J. 1996. Contemporary Art of Africa. London: Thames & Hudson. (ISBN 0-500-01713-1) Magubane, P. and Klopper, S. 2001. African Heritage, Arts and Crafts. Cape Town : Struik. ( ISBN 1 86872 516 2 ) Magubane, P. and Klopper, S. 2001. African Heritage. Cape Town: Struik. (ISBN 1 86872583 9) Mountain, A. 1995. Ndebele Artist Nation. Indaba, Mini Curio. Cape Town: Struik. (ISBN 1 86825848 3) 2008 Kauffman, Kyle D. ESTHER MAHLANGU: REACQUIRING (exhibition catalogue). Kyle Kauffman Gallery: New York, NY 2007 Friedman, Hazel, ‘Esther Mahlangu’, ArtSouthAfrica, v.6.2, November ‘I Color dell’Africa’. La Stampa, August 11 Magnin, A. [Curator]. WHY AFRICA? THE PIGOZZI COLLECTION (ex.cat.), Electa: Milan, Italy ‘Why africa?’, Artdaily.org, August 30 2006 Bernard, Herman. GEE’S BEND THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE QUILT. Tinwood Books: Atlanta, GA Kotze, Petro, ‘Mpumalunga honours its brave heroes’, Lowvelder, December 14 [Madeline (L.) & Martin (M.) curators & eds.] PICASSO AND AFRICA, Cape Town, South Africa, pp. 155-156 Pigozzi, J & Magnin, A. 100% AFRICA. (ex.cat.) TF Editores & FMGB Guggenheim Bilbao Museoa, Bilbao, Spain Turok, K. LIFE AND SOUL, portraits of women who move South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa 2005 AFRICAN ART NOW: Masterpieces from the Jean Pigozzi Collection, (Exhibition Catalogue), pp. 16, 30, 42, 53, 138-41, 205-6, Merrell: London, UK and New York, NY ARTS OF AFRICA, The Contemporary Collection of Jean Pigozzi, pp. 292-5. Grimaldi Forum: Monaco. Domino, C. and Magnin, A., ‘L’Art africain contemporain’, pp. 32-37, Editions Scala: Paris, France. pp. 32-7 ‘Esther Mahlangu’, Capetowntoday.co.za Keck, Gayle, ‘In South Africa, a brush with a tradition’, The Los Angeles Times, April 17 Magubane, Peter & Klopper, Sandra. AMANDEBELE. Sunbird Publishing Ltd: Cape Town, South Africa, pp. 144-5 Sischy, Ingrid, ‘Africa in their eyes: from the Collection of Jean Pigozzi’, Vanity Fair, December 2004 Bedform, Emma, A DECADE OF DEMOCRACY: SOUTH AFRICAN ART 1994-2004. Double Storey Books, Iziko: South African National Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa, pp.4 [Golinski (H.G.) et. al. eds.] NEW IDENTITIES, zeitgenossische kunst aus Sudafrika, pp. 180-88, Museum Bochum, Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit, Germany Martin, Jean-Hubert, ‘The Reception of African Art’ in AFRICA REMIX (exhibition catalog), pp. 43, Hatje Cantz: Dusseldorf, Germany. 2003 De Jager, FR and Loots, AG. ESTHER MAHALANGU. Vgallery: Cape Town, South Africa Pleasant, Amelia. ‘At Long Last: Esther Mahlangu Stands Alone’, ArtThrob, December 2002 Marshall, Sabine. ‘Sites of identity and resistance: urban community murals and rural wall decoration in South Africa’, African Arts, September 22 UBUNTU: ARTS ET CULTURES D’AFRIQUE DU SUD (ex.cat.) Musee National des Arts d’Afrique et d’Oceanie, Paris, France 2001 AFRICA AFRICA Vibrant New Art from a Dynamic Continent (ex.cat.), Published and Edited by The Tobu Museum of Art. Tokyo, Japan. Arte Africana Contemporanea, Contemporary African Art (ex.cat). Publisher: l’Artiere Edizionitalia. Eisenhofer, Stefan [Ed.] TRACING THE RAINBOW, Arnoldsche: Stuttgart, Germany, p.84 Hoard, Adrienne, ‘The Commodification of Art: Ndebele Women in the Stream of Change’, Cultural Survival Quarterly, Winter, pp. 37-40 Magubane, P and Klopper, S. AFRICAN HERITAGE, ARTS AND CRAFTS. Struik (Pry) Ltd., Cape Town, South Africa TRIBAL SOUL, METROPOLITAN BODY (ex.cat.). Galleria Spazia: Bologna, Italy, pp. 88-9 Visona, Monica Blackmun et. al. A HISTORY OF ART IN AFRICA, Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated: New York, NY , back cover 2000 Heartney, Eleanor, ‘An Adieu to Cultural Purity’, Art in America, October Human Sciences Research Council, WOMEN MARCHING INTO THE 21ST CENTURY. HSRC Press: Cape Town, South Africa, p.178 Mack, John [Ed.] AFRICA: ARTS & CULTURE. Oxford University Press: New York, NY, p.196 Magubane, Peter, AFRICAN RENAISSANCE. Struik Publishers Ltd: Cape Town, South Africa: pp. 136-7 Riding, Alan. ‘Arts Abroad’, The New York Times, July 5 1999 [Rabie (B.) curator] <<REWIND>> FAST FORWARD.ZA New Work from South Africa (ex.cat), pp. 59-62, 94, Van Reekum Museum, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands 1997 Geers, Kendell. [Ed.], CONTEMPORARY SOUTH AFRICAN ART: THE GENCOR COLLECTION, Jonathan Bull Publishers (Pty) Ltd: Johannesburg, South Africa 1996 Magnin, A and Soulillou, J. CONTEMPORARY ART OF AFRICA, pp. 13, 16, 46-48, Harry N. Abrams: New York, NY. 1995 Mountain, A. NDEBELE ARTIST NATION. Indaba, Mini Curio. Struik (Pry) Ltd., Cape Town. Powell, Ivor. NDEBELE. Struik (Pry) Ltd: Cape Town, South Africa. 1992 Brenson, Michael. ‘Review/Art: Juxtaposing the New From All Over’, The New York Times, May 20 De Jager, EJ, IMAGES OF MAN: CONTEMPORARY SOUTH AFRICAN ART AND ARTISTS. Fort Hare University Press: East London, South Africa, p.196 [Magnin, A.,curator]. AFRICA HOY (ex.cat.), Centro Atlantico de Arte Moderno, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain 1989 Alexander, L & Cohen, E. 150 SOUTH AFRICAN PAINTINGS, past and present. Lewison, Jeremy, ‘Magiciens de la Terre’, Burlington Magazine, Vol. 131, No. 1037, August MAGICIENS DE LA TERRE. (ex.cat.) Editions du Centre Pompidou, France 1986 Courtney-Clarke, M. 1986. NDEBELE. London: Thames & Hudson.