Wp/nr/Esther Mahlangu

U-Esther Nikwambi Mahlangu wabelethwa mhla amalanga ali-11 kuSinyikhaba 1935. Wabelethelwa eplasini ngaphandle kwe-Middelburg, e-Mpumalanga, eSewula Afrika. Ulilunga labantu besiNdebele eSewula. UMahlangu mdala ebantwaneni abalithoba, unabafowabo abasithandathu nabodadwabo ababili. Wathoma ukupenda aneminyaka eli-10, afundiswe ngunina nogogo wakhe ngokuya kwesiko lamaNdebele, lapho abentazana abasesebatjha bafunda ukudweba ukulungiselela ukuhlobisa ngaphandle kwemizi yabo ngemva komtjhado.

UMahlangu waziwa ngokutjhugulula ubucikwa be-Ndebele, obudwetjwa ngokwesiko emabodeni we-adobe, ukuya kezinye iindawo ezifana ne-canvas kanye nama-alloy wensimbi. Imitlamo yakhe etlikitliweko ivamise ukuba nemida emhlophe ehlelelwe ngokulandelana nofana ngamaphetheni we-chevron. Iingoma zakhe ziqhazwe ngokuthi "zithakazelisa khulu begodu zikhulu ukudlula lezo zabantu besikhathi sakhe," ngemitlamo yemingcele emikhulu khulu.

Ubukghwari bakaMahlangu buthatha amaphetheni atholakala ezembathweni zesintu kanye nejuwelari yabantu bamaNdebele. Imitlamo yakhe ivamise ukuba nemibalabala nejometri, begodu imidwebo yakhe ivamise ukuba mikhulu, yenziwa ngokusebenzisa ibhrashi yokupenda eyenziwe ngamasiba wekukhu. Utlikitla umncamo wakhe ngokusebenzisa umncamo ukwenza amagama wakhe wokuthoma.

Phakathi kuka-1980 no-1991, u-Mahlangu bekahlala e-Botshabelo Historical Village, imnyuziyamu evulekileko enikelwe ukufundisa iimvakatjhi ngamasiko wamaNdebele.

UMahlangu wathoma ukuhlonitjhwa ngamazwe ngamazwe ngo-1989 embukisweni we-Magiciens de la terre (Ama-Magicians of the World) e-Center Pompidou e-Paris. Wamenywa bona ahlanganyele ngemva kobana abarhubhululi be-Embassy ye-France bavakatjhele iSewula Afrika ngo-1986 begodu babona imidwebo emzini wakhe. Ngesikhathi sokuhlala kwakhe e-France iinyanga ezimbili, wapenda umfanekiso wendlu yakhe phambi kweenkulungwana zabantu begodu waqeda ukudweba ngaphakathi kwe-Angoulême Museum of Fine Arts.

Ngo-1991, wathunyelwa yi-BMW bona enze ikoloyi egwaliweko, wajoyina abafaki-galelo bangaphambilini abafana no-Andy Warhol, u-David Hockney, no-Frank Stella. Idizayini yakhe, ependiwe ku-BMW 525i, beyinemifanekiso yesiko lamaNdebele begodu bekuyi-BMW Art Car yokuthoma eyakhiwe mdwebi ongasi ngeweTjingalanga begodu mumuntu wengubo. Ikoloyi le yavezwa e-National Museum of Women in the Arts e-Washington, D.C., ngo-1994, begodu yavezwa godu embukisweni i-South Africa: The Art of a Nation e-British Museum e-London kusukela ngoNobayeni 2016 ukuya kuMhlolanja 2017. Ngomnyaka ka-2016, u-Mahlangu wapenda ingaphakathi le-BMW 7 Series sedan eyavezwa e-Frizeze Art Fair e-Regent's Park, e-London, njengengcenye elihlelwe hlangana ne-BMW ne-34FineArt. 

Ngo-1992, uMahlangu wathunyelwa bona agwale umfanekiso we-Johannesburg Civic Theatre. Ngo-1994, wenza umfanekiso ebodeni e-National Museum of Women in the Arts e-Washington, D.C., ukutshwaya ukuvulwa komqaliso wakhe wedwa emnyuziyamu.

Ngo-1997, uMahlangu wathunyelwa bona apende amaphiko womsila weemphaphamtjhini ezinengi ze-British Airways. Ngo-2007, wapenda i-Fiat 500 ye-Why Africa? umqaliso e-Turin, e-Italy. Ngomnyaka ka-2014, uMahlangu waqeda ukuhlala kwenyanga eyodwa e-Virginia Museum of Fine Arts e-Richmond, Virginia, lapho akha khona imifanekiso emibili ye-museum ye-African art gallery. Ngomnyaka ka-2016, watlama ibhodlelo le-Product Red le-Belvedere Vodka, ngamaphesente amatjhumi amahlanu wemali etholakalako anikelwa ku-Global Fund ukulwisana ne-HIV/AIDS, imalariya, nesifo sofuba.[23][5] Ngalowo mnyaka, wasebenzisana nomhlobo wefetjheni we-Sweden i-Eytys ukuklama ama-sneaker anemitlamo yesiko lama-Ndebele, okutjho ukusetjenziswa kokuthoma kokufekethisiwe emsebenzini wakhe begodu wasebenzisana nomhlobo wamanyathelo we-Brazil u-Melissa kanye neleyibula yefetjheni ye-Japan i-Comme des Garçons.

Ngo-2020, uMahlangu wapenda ingaphakathi le-Rolls-Royce Phantom, elifaka hlangana 'igalari' kudetjhibhodi eyenzelwe ukutjengisa imisebenzi yomgwalo. Waba mdwebi wokuthoma weSewula Afrika owathunyelwa bona enze umsebenzi wekoloyi. Umsebenzi lo bewutjengiswa ngesikhathi seveke yezemigwalo ye-Cape Town 2020 e-The Melrose Gallery. Ngo-2024, uMahlangu wasebenzisana ne-BMW ukwakha i-i5 Flow Nostokana, ikoloyi ehlukileko enombala otjhuguluka ngaphandle ehlotjiswe ngemitlamo yama-Ndebele eyenziwe ngokusebenzisa ithekhnoloji ye-E Ink.[4][28][29] Umsebenzi wakhe utjengiswe emazweni ngamazwe, begodu imisebenzi yakhe ifakwe emkhakheni emikhulu yangasese nekwezikhungo, kufaka hlangana iqoqo le-Contemporary African Art Collection ka-Jean Pigozzi.

Ngomnyaka ka-2024, isitudiyo sobuciko esinikelwe emsebenzini ka-Mahlangu savulwa ekhaya lakhe e-Mpumalanga, eSewula Afrika. Ngaphambilini wasungula isikolo sokugwala esizisekela ngemali ngemva kwekhaya lakhe ukufundisa isiNdebele ukudweba namaqhinga wokutlama esizukulwaneni esilandelako sokugwala.