December 10, 2024: Today is Human Rights Day – the commemoration of the anniversary of one of the world’s most ground breaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being.
Esther Mahlangu’s art is a vibrant testament to South Africa’s diversity, encapsulating the beauty and complexity of the “Rainbow Nation.” However, Mahlangu’s story also highlights persistent societal issues, including sexism, patriarchy, and the marginalization of women and ethnic minorities, which hinder true inclusivity and representation.
Despite international acclaim, South Africa itself has not fully embraced Mahlangu’s art. Curator Nontobeko Ntombela notes the paradox: while Mahlangu is internationally revered, South Africans often view her work as merely an extension of cultural practice. This limits her recognition within South Africa, where her art rarely features in major galleries or local collections. Instead, much of her work resides in private collections abroad.
This disconnect underscores broader societal challenges. South Africa’s historical marginalisation of women and ethnic minorities persists in the art world, dominated by Western-centric narratives. Framing Mahlangu’s work as “traditional” rather than innovative risks diminishing her contributions as an artist who challenges the boundaries between tradition and modernity.
Her work, rooted in Ndebele tradition yet boldly contemporary, uses chicken feathers and precise geometric designs that embody collective Ndebele identity while asserting her unique artistic voice. Yet, her role as a singular representative of Ndebele culture in global art circles reflects the burden marginalized artists face to embody their entire community.
This dynamic mirrors a larger issue in South Africa: the underrepresentation of marginalised groups, particularly women and ethnic minorities, in cultural and political spaces. Mahlangu’s success highlights the systemic barriers preventing others from achieving similar recognition.
Mahlangu’s journey is a testament to her resilience and self-belief. Growing up in the 1940s in Middelburg, she defied societal norms limiting women’s roles, pursuing art with rare conviction. Her retrospective exhibition, Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting, celebrates this defiance, drawing from a childhood memory where her persistent creativity silenced doubters.
Mahlangu herself writes, “Painting has always been a part of me. I cannot separate it from myself, and neither would I want to.” Her words encapsulate her dedication to her craft and the inseparability of identity, culture, and art. They challenge us to imagine a South Africa where this interconnectedness is celebrated, not marginalised.
Born in 1935 in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, Mahlangu learned the art of Ndebele mural painting from her mother and grandmother.
Her contributions to art ranging from the distinctive Ndebele patterns she painted on the iconic BMW 525i Art Car in 1991 to her large-scale canvases exhibited globally reflect her personal genius and the rich cultural heritage of the Ndebele people.
In 1991 Mahlangu became the first African and woman to join the BMW Art Car Project, a series featuring renowned artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. For Mahlangu, painting the BMW was akin to painting a wall, an act deeply rooted in Ndebele tradition. In her culture, painting walls marks celebrations such as weddings, showcasing the intersection of heritage and contemporary art.
This collaboration introduced Ndebele art to an international audience and reflected a tension between aspiration and accessibility. The BMW 525i, nicknamed “Igusheshe” in townships for its distinct engine sound, symbolised unattainable luxury for many South Africans. Mahlangu’s transformation of the car into a work of art bridged this gap, merging aspiration with cultural roots. Yet, it underscored disparities in perceptions of her work a global treasure but, for some at home, part of the “every day.”
However, her story also lays bare broader struggles faced by women in South Africa and beyond. As noted in the Voice and Choice Barometer, a key challenge lies in the dissonance between “formal” equality manifested in laws, policies, and pronouncements and “informal” factors, including socialisation, custom, culture, and religion, which often counteract these formal advances. This tension highlights why gender equality, despite being enshrined in numerous national, regional, and international frameworks, continues to see minimal progress.
Backlash often takes the form of legislative rollbacks, the vilification of women activists, or efforts to reinforce traditional gender roles, undermining individual agency and threatening collective strides toward equality. As feminist researchers have noted, resistance, rollback, and backlash though interconnected represent distinct aspects of the persistent struggle for gender justice.
For South Africa to embrace its diversity, it must address structural inequalities perpetuating exclusion. This includes recognising and promoting artists like Mahlangu while creating opportunities for other marginalized voices. It requires challenging patriarchal and Eurocentric frameworks and redefining what it means to be South African in a way that includes everyone.
South Africa must confront systemic barriers limiting marginalized groups’ recognition and inclusion. It must celebrate women, ethnic minorities, and other underrepresented communities not as tokens of diversity but as integral to the nation’s identity. By doing so, South Africa can honour Mahlangu’s vision and create a society where all citizens can thrive.
(Nokwe Mnomiya is a WOSSO fellow)