Publications
Publications
In print
Monographs, exhibition catalogues, and critical writing dedicated to the life and work of Dr Esther Mahlangu — authored and edited by leading curators, critics, and cultural figures.
Book · 2025
Esther Mahlangu Handbook
Edited by Larry Warsh. Text by Larry Ossei-Mensah.
No More Rulers
A richly illustrated monograph chronicling the life and work of Esther Mahlangu — an artistic visionary who shattered convention, reimagined tradition and painted her way into the global spotlight. This timely and visually striking volume offers a long-overdue exploration of Dr Esther Mahlangu (born 1935), the internationally acclaimed South African artist whose practice defies divisions between 'traditional' and 'contemporary' art. Grounded in the visual language of her Ndebele heritage, Mahlangu transforms this lineage into a powerful tool for self-expression and global dialogue. The Esther Mahlangu Handbook positions her work firmly within contemporary discourse, rejecting reductive categorizations of her practice as 'folk' or 'ethnographic,' and affirming her place in the global art historical canon — as a trailblazing visual artist and beloved cultural ambassador of the Ndebele nation.
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Book · 2024
Esther Mahlangu: To Paint is in My Heart
Thomas Girst, Azu Nwagbogu & Hans Ulrich Obrist; essay by Thebe Magugu; with Larry Warsh
Thames & Hudson
The definitive monograph on Dr Esther Mahlangu, exploring more than eight decades of her practice. Co-authored by Thomas Girst, Azu Nwagbogu and Hans Ulrich Obrist, with an essay by designer Thebe Magugu and contributions from collector Larry Warsh.
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Exhibition Catalogue · 2024
Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting: Esther Mahlangu, A Retrospective
Curated by Nontobeko Ntombela
Iziko Museums of South Africa / BMW
A comprehensive 300-page catalogue accompanying the first major retrospective of Dr Mahlangu's five-decade career, curated by Nontobeko Ntombela. Launched at the Iziko South African National Gallery before touring to Wits Art Museum.
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Brochure · 2024
Between Ancestry and Abstraction: The Art of Esther Mahlangu
Curated by Larry Ossei-Mensah
American Federation of Arts
The first United States retrospective of Dr Mahlangu's work, organised by the American Federation of Arts and accompanied by a free educational brochure placing her practice in dialogue with African and African-diasporic abstraction.
View PublicationEsther Mahlangu — 25 Years of Democracy: Growing South Africa Together for Women's Emancipation
Book · 2019
Esther Mahlangu — 25 Years of Democracy: Growing South Africa Together for Women's Emancipation
Department of Arts and Culture, South Africa
Department of Arts and Culture
A book published by the Department of Arts and Culture on Dr Esther Mahlangu, as part of the '25 Years of Democracy – Growing South Africa Together for Women's Emancipation' series.
Article · 2017
Destiny Magazine
Khanyi Dhlomo (Editor); Dr. Esther Mahlangu
Destiny Magazine
Dr. Esther Mahlangu featured on the cover of Destiny Magazine, one of South Africa's leading publications celebrating women in business, arts, and culture.
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Article · 2017
The Art Woman: Esther Mahlangu's Ndebele Art Renaissance
Petra Mason
Wanted Online
A feature on Dr Mahlangu's renaissance of Ndebele art, confirming the BMW Art Car as the centrepiece of the British Museum's 'South Africa: the Art of a Nation' exhibition and noting a second BMW commission underway.
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Article · 2016
Kölqvist HONORE Magazine
Carolin Würfel
Kölqvist
HONORE Magazine #1 — Creative Direction & Visual Identity. An independent title produced by women for women, anchored by strong directional fashion editorials with features spanning arts, culture, and politics, featuring Esther Mahlangu.
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Book · 2016
South Africa: the Art of a Nation
John Giblin & Chris Spring (eds.)
Thames & Hudson / British Museum
Published to accompany the British Museum's landmark survey of South African art, from early rock art to contemporary practice. Dr Mahlangu's 1991 BMW Art Car was a centrepiece of the exhibition.
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Exhibition Catalogue · 2003
Esther Mahlangu 2003
Kyle D. Kauffman (foreword); Peter Clarke (tribute)
UCT Irma Stern Museum
Catalogue for Dr Mahlangu's first solo exhibition in South Africa, held at the UCT Irma Stern Museum in November 2003, with a biographical sketch and an account of her 1989 Centre Pompidou invitation.
Enquire about a publication
For catalogue requests, acquisitions, and rights enquiries, please contact The Melrose Gallery directly.
Official Global Representative