Dr Esther Mahlangu’s Solo Exhibition and Rolls-Royce Collab

WORDS Cheri Morris IMAGES courtesy of One&Only

Acclaimed South African artist Dr Esther Mahlangu recently unveiled her new collaboration with Rolls-Royce at the opening of her solo exhibition, Disrupting Patterns, at One&Only Cape Town’s Melrose Gallery.

Spanning more than 30 years, Dr Mahlangu’s distinguished career has seen her celebrate Ndebele design, applying her work to everything from helmets, skateboard decks, walls and canvases to planes, motorbikes and cars. And now, her latest collaboration sees her work feature on a one-off Rolls-Royce Phantom.

At 84 years of age, Dr Mahlangu is the first South African to be commissioned to paint an artwork for a Rolls-Royce Phantom. Each Phantom is designed with a “gallery” – a glass box inserted into the dashboard – that allows owners to personalise their vehicles.

Her latest exhibition, Disrupting Patterns, showcases a strong selection of paintings that further explore her signature bold, geometric patterns.

Disrupting Patterns is open to the public until 31 March 2020 at One&Only Cape Town’s Melrose Gallery. For more information, visit themelrosegallery.com.