Esther Mahlangu will be awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of South Africa (Unisa) in recognition of her mathematical prowess.
Mahlangu will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (Honoris Causa) at a graduation ceremony at the Unisa Muckleneuk Campus in Pretoria on Tuesday, April 16.
At the opening of the 2024 Autumn Graduation season, Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Puleng LenkaBula said, “Here at Unisa we recognise Dr Mahlangu’s work as something that transcends art.
‘It is our firm conviction that her work is a form of mathematics and should thus be recognised as such,“ LenkaBula said.
“As an African university, we have a responsibility to recognise and affirm our indigenous knowledge systems and to ensure that they do not play second fiddle to other knowledge systems in the world”.
Mahlangu, a self-taught artist with no academic qualifications, is known for her bold large-scale contemporary paintings that are colourful, geometric and reference her Ndebele heritage.
According to Unisa, Mahlangu has created original and innovative artworks reflecting that her heritage, as well as shared her knowledge and skills with the younger generation and wider public.
She has established an art school in her home village, where she teaches the traditional Ndebele style of painting and beadwork to both children and adults.
An artist whose work is exhibited all over the world, Mahlangu is a remarkable example of how art can transcend boundaries and connect people across cultures.
In 1999, Mahlangu became the first woman artist to be commissioned to decorate a BMW car in traditional Ndebele design, a feat only achieved by major international artists, Andy Warhol and David Hockney.
The car, a BMW 525i, is the first “African Art Car” and was exhibited at the National Museum of Women in Arts in Washington DC, USA and the British Museum in London, UK.
She was also commissioned to paint the tail of a British Airways Boeing.
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