Tribal Tradition

Self-taught South African artist Esther Mahlangu’s powerful, evocative works keep the heritage of her Ndebele tribe alive.

“To paint is in my heart and in my blood,” says Esther. She may not know how to read or write, having never attended school, but she was born an artist.

Aged 83 and considered a national treasure, she has devoted her life to sharing her cultural heritage with the world through her vibrant, geometric and symmetrical abstract paintings and murals in the Ndebele tradition.

She is among South Africa’s most famous living artists who have exhibited in some of the world’s most respected museums, and counts celebrities Usher, Swizz Beatz, John Legend and Oprah Winfrey as collectors. She was the first person to transfer the time-honoured Ndebele style of painting from wall to canvas, effectively promoting and preserving the art form.

Clad in colourful traditional regalia with gold neck, arm and leg rings that never come off, and wearing beaded necklaces, bracelets, earrings and headbands, Esther travels frequently to ensure the survival of Ndebele art and spread her culture globally.

Old World Charm

The Ndebele custom of painting the exterior walls of houses was traditionally performed by the women of the community. The elaborately painted patterns and graphic elements constituting rectangle, triangle, chevron and diamond shapes heralded news of important life events such as a birth, death, wedding or a boy heading off to initiation school.

“When you get married, you paint your first house,” Esther relates. “It’s very important to have straight lines and not zigzag lines because your family members will come and look. If your lines are perfectly straight, then you are a very good wife and can look after your family.”

A traditional art combining social and decorative functions, it also became a symbol of resistance against the Boer farmers initially, then against the British expansion and finally against the apartheid regime. A means of information and communication, the large wall paintings denoted combat, cultural ties and the affirmation of identity at the same time.

At 10 years old, Esther used to watch her mother and grandmother paint their house. Longing to join them, she would try her luck without their knowledge when they took a break. But, when they returned, they scolded her, telling her never to do that again as her lines were skewed.

She recalls: “Every single afternoon when they went to have a nap, I’d try to paint. I got into trouble every day, until eventually they realised that in my heart, I wanted to paint.”