Mahlangu Meets Australian Art Car Artists
Looking at Esther Mahlangu's 1995 trip to Australia, where she meets the two Australian Art Car artists Michael Jagamara Nelson and Ken Done
By Art of Contemporary Africa
Content curated as an extension of the "Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting": Esther Mahlangu, A Retrospective exhibition timeline
In 1995
BMW organised a trip to Sydney, Australia, promoting the new 3 Series. During this trip, Mahlangu was to meet the Australian artist Michael Jagamara Nelson, an Australian Aborigine and the only other "ethnic" artist in the project, and Ken Done, an Australian artist and designer.
The 7th edition
In 1989, the Australian artist Michael Jagamara Nelson transformed a black BMW M3 into a masterpiece of Papunya art in just seven days. Nelson learned this ancient method of painting from his grandfather and in 1984 he was awarded the inaugural National Aboriginal Art Award.
It is interesting here to note that, though Mahlangu painted a 5 series, the BMW M3 (it's E30 series generation of cars) has a remarkable importance in South African car culture. The 325iS has been affectionately dubbed the 'Gusheshe' by the public; iconic for its influence in the spinning world and how versatile the setup is. It was made for BMW's racing division under Group A regulations and Nelson's M3 was raced around a few Australian circuits before its purely decorative role.
The car as a landscape
“The car is a landscape as if viewed from an airplane – I have included water, the kangaroo and the possum.”
— Michael Jagamara Nelson
Mahlangu's Art Car was not exhibited at this event and the trip was originally organized as only a meet-and-greet between Art Car artists.
Hawking dangers
Wherever Mahlangu travelled, even if she was not exhibiting, she would bring small artworks and dolls to sell. Despite being warned about Australia's strict anti-hawking laws, Mahlangu set up a harbour stall during her free time and was nearly arrested for hawking her paintings.
Turning limits to opportunity
When the other Australian Art Car artist, Ken Done, heard about this, he offered to sell the works, legally, at his booth for the BMW event. What would have just been just a meet-and-greet, turned into an opportunity for Mahlangu.
Mahlangu in proximity to Aboriginal art
The Art Car is not Mahlangu's first work to be exhibited alongside Aboriginal Art. In 1989, as Nelson was commissioned by BMW, Mahlangu exhibited her work next to 'Yam Dreaming' by a community of Aboriginal Artists from Yuendumu, Australia, at Magiciens de la Terre.
A closed chapter
Since this trip, Mahlangu has not returned to Australia and it remains the first and only time she has visited this continent. It is unclear whether the bonds she formed with these artists she met there remain in their memories, albums and stories as much as they remain in hers.
Sincere thanks to Pamela Chappell (former employee at BMW) for some of the information supplied on this story and BMW PressGroup for the Images of the other Art Cars.
Most of the images in this story were graciously offered by Esther Mahlangu's Family Archives during the course of research and made accessible to public in the exhibition timeline of "Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting": Esther Mahlangu, A Retrospective (2024-2025); others belong to the original copyright owners and individuals. In this story, it includes the image from Magiciens de le Terre. If needed for non-educational purposes, please approach the original copyright owners.
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