Experience the art and legacy of Dr. Esther Mahlangu

Discover Google Arts & Culture's online retrospective of the South African artist, which features more than 45 curated stories, virtual tours, and her early memories brought to life with AI. Senior Lecturer, Department of Curatorial, Public and Visual Cultures, Wits School of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand Dr.

Nontobeko Ntombela presents the first online retrospective of artist Dr. Esther Mahlangu on Google Arts & Culture to honor her 91st birthday. This collection features over 45 stories, archival materials, and AI-generated recreations of her early life to preserve Ndebele heritage for a global audience. You can explore the full exhibition and learn more about her artistic legacy by visiting the Google Arts & Culture website. We are celebrating artist Dr. Esther Mahlangu with a new online retrospective on Google Arts & Culture. Because some of her early history was missing, we used artificial intelligence to recreate her childhood memories based on her own stories. You can now explore over 45 exhibitions, view her murals, and learn about Ndebele culture from anywhere in the world. This project preserves her artistic legacy for you and future generations to enjoy. Today we’re sharing the first online retrospective of artist Dr. Esther Mahlangu on Google Arts & Culture, honoring her pioneering spirit on her 91st birthday. More than 45 stories and a rich archive covering her art, life, and legacy are now accessible to a global audience. For many years, I have worked closely with Esther and her family. It’s a relationship built on years of research and a deep admiration for her as both an artist and a person. It was out of this long-standing connection that the vision for “‘Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting’: Esther Mahlangu, a Retrospective,” was born.