National Gallery Mahlangu Curator Tour

Last chance for a tour of the landmark exhibition, Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting: Esther Mahlangu. A Retrospective. It closes at the Iziko South African National Gallery on August 11, 2024. (It will then go to Wits Art Museum in Johannesburg, before the United States in early 2026.)

Our tour is led by Andrea Lewis, Curator of Prints and Drawings. She worked closely with the exhibition’s curator, Nontobeko Ntombela, who says

‘Mahlangu’s journey is a testament to passion, innovation, and resilience..The retrospective pays homage to Esther Mahlangu’s unique approach to art, which intersects African cultures with modernity and the contemporary. The exhibition celebrates Mahlangu’s voice, agency, and pioneering spirit, symbolizing her self-enunciation, self-determination and creativity.

Mahlangu began her artistic journey at ten years old. She was taught by her grandmother and mother, learning the traditional techniques of isiNdebele mural painting. Her selection for  the exhibition Magiciens de la Terre (1989) in Paris Centre Pompidou, shot her to fame. She has exhibited in over 20 countries, including solo shows and murals.

There are over 100 artworks in the exhibition, most from overseas. They have been placed with historic photographs and a short film.

‘Painting has always been a part of me. I cannot separate it from myself, and neither would I want to’ says Esther Mahlangu.

The exhibition is in half of the Gallery. The other half has works from Iziko’s permanent collection. Many of these from Breaking Down the Walls – 150 Years of Art Collecting. Andrea Lewis will pick a iconic works to talk about after her Mahlangu tour. (I don’t know which ones these are. The two images below are from Grace School’s Culture Connect here.)

Cost per person: R400; or R300 paying pre 28 July 2024. This includes the Gallery entrance fee.

Booking essential kate@cultureconnectsa.com || +27 72 377 8014

Iziko South African National Gallery, Company’s Garden

Government Ave (which is very hard to drive into; taxi’s can), Hatfield Street (a continuation of St Johns)

Company’s Garden, Cape Town, 8001

Do join me for lunch nearby afterwards at Seven Circles cafe 117 Hatfield St, Gardens (a few minutes walk away)