“NDEBELE ART HAS, IN AN ENTIRELY NATURAL WAY, SOMETHING SLIGHTLY FORMAL BUT VERY MAJESTIC ABOUT IT; THROUGH MY WORK I HAVE ADDED THE IDEA OF MOVEMENT.”
ESTHER MAHLANGU
Esther Mahlangu
Esther Mahlangu was born in South Africa in 1936 and learned the traditional painting technique of the Ndebele tribe from her mother. The stylistically characteristic and well- known murals with the typical Ndebele pattern are made exclusively by women. Today, Esther Mahlangu is considered the most important representative of this art form and has
received international recognition for her work. With her art, she honours the traditions of her tribe and years ago she began passing on her knowledge to her daughter.
Art from tribal tradition
My art has emerged from our tribal tradition of decorating the home, says African painter Esther Mahlangu about her work. By painting the BMW 525i, she has applied her tribe’s traditional way of expressing herself to an object of contemporary technology. To develop a feel for the completely new medium, she first painted the door of another BMW before starting to design the Art Car. Within a week, she had transformed the car into a masterpiece of African Ndebele art. She is the first female Art Car artist.
Specifications BMW 525i
- inline six-cylinder engine
- 4 valves per cylinder
- displacement: 2494 cm3
- power: 250 hp
- top speed: 221 km/h
History
The Art Car that Mahlangu designed was intended solely for exhibition and has never been driven on the road or in a race.