Born 11 November 1935 on a farm near Middelburg, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. 

Studies 

Esther learned the skill of mural painting from her mother and grandmother. 
Between 1980 - 1991 she was a resident at the Botshabelo open air museum which presents Ndebele culture to visitors. 

Exhibitions and projects 

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 
2007 Painted the New Fiat 500 - "Why Africa?" The Pigozzi Collection
        South African Art : Signs, Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum, Bratislava, 
        Slovakia.
        100% African : The Jean Pigozzi Conemporary African Art Collection,
        Guggenheim Bilbao, Spain
2007 Berlin and Beyond Art in Public Places, Florida USA  February 2007 
        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 
2006 Indianapolis Museum of Art, October 8 — December 31, 2006
        34 LONG, Cape Town  October 10 - November 11, 2006 
        Beyond Lilith : The Sacred Feminine, Scuderie Aldobrandini Frascati, Roma,
        Italy
2005 Solo Exhibition - 34 Long, Cape Town, 18 Oct-5Nov 2005 
        National Museum of African Art, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington,
        D.C., USA 
2005 Yokohama Triennale, Japan
2005 Museum of Fine Art, Houstin, Texas, USA
2005 Arts of Africa, Grimaldi Forum, Monaco - France
2005 Project Row Houses, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Texas 
2005 Contemporary South African Art, Pretoria Art Museum
2005 Contemporary South African Art, Johannesburg Art Gallery
2005 Galleria Spacia, Italy 
2005 South Africa - US Native American Exchange Project, Institute of American
        Indian Arts - Sante FE, NM. 
2005 Project Row Houses, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Texas  
2005 Contemporary South African Art,  Pretoria Art Museum
2005 Contemporary South African Art,  Johannesburg Art Gallery
2004 Contemporary South African Art,  Museum Bochum, Germany
2004 New Orleans Jazz Festival S.A. 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 to South Africa, Centro Culturale Trevi, Bolzano, Italy
2002 The Art of Colour, Knysna Fine Art Gallery, Knysna, South Africa
2001 Arte Africana Contemporanea, Galleria d'arte Spazia, Bologna, Italy 
2001 Galleria Cavellini, Brescia, Italy
2001 South Africa Today, The Helsinki Fair Centre, Finland
2000 5th Biennale of Contemporary Art in Lyons, France
2000 Dialogue of cultures, EXPO 2000, Hannover, Germany
1999 <<REWIND>>FAST FORWARD.ZA, Van Reekum Museum, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands 
1998 Musée des Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie, Paris, France
1998 Africa Africa, Tobu Museum of Art, Tokyo, Japan
1997 Exhibit Gallery, Philadelphia, USA
1997 York College, Los Angeles, California, USA 
1997 Mural for National Museum of Woman in the Arts, Washington D.C., USA
1997 Ndebele Images Then and Now, National Arts Club, New York, USA 
1997 Oog op Zuidelijke Afrika, Het Afrika Museum, Berg en Dal, the Netherlands 
1997 Portal to America, Installation, Spoleto Festival, Charleston, South Carolina, USA 
1997 African Immigrant Folklife Festival, Washington D.C., USA 
1996 Parish Gallery - Georgetown, Washington D.C., USA 
1996 Exhibition for the Congressional Black Caucus, Washington D.C., USA 
1996 Armour J. Blackburn Centre, Howard University, Washington D.C., USA 
1996 World Bank, Washington D.C., USA 
1996 Mural - Ministry of Finance Building, Pretoria, South Africa 
1996 Mural - Alexandra Township Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa 
1995 BMW Art Cars and paintings Exhibition, Sydney, Australia 
1995 Group show, Market Theatre, Johannesburg, South Africa 
1994 BMW Art Cars Collection, National Museum of Woman in the Arts, Washington D.C., USA 
1994 Mural for National Museum of Woman in the Arts, Washington D.C., USA 
1994 Mural - Ndebele College of Education, KwaNdebele, South Africa 
1994 Mural - African Festival, Lisbon, Portugal 
1994 Mural - European Inventive Business Travel Meetings Exhibition, Geneva, Switzerland 
1994 Out of Africa, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes, France 
1993 La Grande Vérité, Les Astres Africains, Nantes Fine Arts Museum, Nantes, France 
1993 European Inventive Business Travel Meetings Exhibition, Lisboa, Portugal
1993 Geneva International Exhibition, Geneva, Switzerland
1992 Comme des Garçons, Tokyo, Japan; New York, USA and Paris, France
1992 Out of Africa, Gallery Saatchi, London, UK
1992 Fire Screen, Civic Theatre, Johannesburg, South Africa
1992 BMW Art Cars, Documentra 9, Kassel, Germany 
1992 Africa Hoy, Groninger Museum, Groningen, the Netherlands 
1992 Africa Hoy, Cultural Centre of Contemporary Art, Mexico City, Mexico 
1991 BMW Art Cars, Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, South Africa 
1991 Painting Columns in Building, Tokyo, Japan
1991 Fashion Collection, Tokyo, Japan
1991 Ny Afrikansk Billedkunst, Copenhagen, Denmark
1991 Africa Hoy, Centro Atlantico de Arte Moderna, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
1990 Caravan ( trailer ) Auto Show, Lavante, France
1990 Bordeaux Festival, Bordeaux, France
1990 Mural Painting, Rosebank Shopping Centre, South Africa 
1990 Mural Painting, Johannesburg School, South Africa 
1989 Centre de la Villette, Paris, France 
1989 Fine Arts Museum, Angoulême, France
1989 Mural Painting, Musée des Beaux Arts - Museum for African Art, Paris, France
1989 Les Magiciens de la Terre, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France


Collections 

South African National Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
BOE Bank, Cape Town, South Africa
Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
Museum Bochum, Germany
Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum, Bratislava, Slovakia
Musée des Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie, Paris, France
Bothabelo Museum, South Africa
BMW Cars Collection, Germany
World Bank Collection, USA
BHP Billiton Collection, Johannesburg, South Africa
RE:CM Collection, Cape Town
Pretoria Art Museum

Esther's work is also in numerous other important private collections in South Africa and abroad.


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 (Pabha)
2001 Radio Ndebele Award
1999 Mpumalanga Arts and Culture Award
1997 Nassau County Commendation, New York, USA
1997 Incorporated Village of Hempstead Citation, Hempstead, New York, USA 
1997 Ministry of Culture and Communication, Centre de la Villette, France
1996 Mpumalanga Sport Premiers Culture Award
1988 Radio Ndebele Award


Selected publications 

Courtney-Clarke, M. 1986. Ndebele. London: Thames & Hudson. Reprinted in 2002
(ISBN 0-500-28387-7).
De Jager, FR and Loots, AG. 2003. Esther Mahlangu 2003. 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). 
Mountain, A. 1995. Ndebele artist nation. Indaba, Mini Curio. Cape Town: Struik
(ISBN 1 86825 848 3).