Esther Mahlangu's BMW Art Car

Here's something that combines two of our loves, African Art and cars that we can't afford :)

The BMW Art Car Project was introduced by French racecar driver and auctioneer Hervé Poulain in 1975. He wanted artists to create works using cars as canvasses. In 1991, Ndebele artist Esther Mahlangu was invited to paint a prototype of the new BMW 525i.

The Ndebele of South Africa have a long standing tradition of painting their houses (externally and internally) in bold geometric patterns. This tradition is extended to their beadwork, which is used for personal adornment and to decorate a variety of functional items.

Esther's car was the first in the collection to be decorated by a woman artist; and she joined a prestigious international line-up of artists including Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Ken Done and Roy Lichtenstein.

To see some Ndebele beadwork click here / Pictures courtesy: http://www.bmwartcarcollection.com/