Mahlangu’s renowned BMW comes home
Legendary Ndebele artist’s decorated BMW to be on show at Joburg Art Fair
The Joburg Art Fair celebrated its big scoop this year by bringing the iconic BMW art car painted by Esther Mahlangu to African soil.
The car was on display at the Frieze Art Fair in London as part of the South Africa: The Art of a Nation exhibition at the British Museum.
Mahlangu made history 26 years ago as the first woman to create artwork on a BMW 525i sedan.
Last year, she refined the BMW 7 Series.
At next month’s Joburg Art Fair, Mahlangu’s panels painted in Ndebele art will be part of BMW Group South Africa’s Heritage Collection.
The car will also be displayed at various arts and cultural events to stamp Mahlangu’s cultural heritage.
“I am so glad that BMW brought my art back to South Africa, it is a beautiful car to be shared with the people of South Africa for many years to come,” said Mahlangu.
The legendary Ndebele artist explained in a statement that the panels worked well.
“I started by painting the small ones [panels] first to get the feel of the surface and then it was easy as the design follows the lines of the panels,” she said.
Mandla Sibeko, director of the Joburg Art Fair, celebrated the arrival of the car: “It’s a fitting honour to have Mama Esther and her worldrenowned car at our 10th anniversary as a special project.
“She has placed South Africa on the world platform and we couldn’t be prouder.”
Mahlangu is part of an exclusive league of artists that have been part of BMW’s cultural co-operation worldwide such as Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Daniel Barenboim and Jonas Kaufmann.