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Department of arts & culture pays tribute to Noria Mabasa and Esther Mahlangu

South African artist Esther Mahlangu, poses at her home in Mabhoko Village, Siyabuswa, Mpumalanga on March 6, 2017.
South African artist Esther Mahlangu, poses at her home in Mabhoko Village, Siyabuswa, Mpumalanga on March 6, 2017.
Image: AFP PHOTO / GULSHAN KHAN (Photo credit should read GULSHAN KHAN/AFP/Getty Images)

To mark national Women’s Month, a book that celebrates the life of legendary South African visual artists Noria Mabasa and Esther Mahlangu will be launched on Thursday.

The launch, a concept of the department of arts & culture, is scheduled to take place at Constitution Hill  under the theme 25 Years of Democracy – Growing South Africa Together for Women’s Emancipation.

Mabasa is a well-known Venda sculptor who uses both clay and wood to make pots and figures of men and women. Her work prides itself on a strong element of social comment too. Mahlangu is an internationally acclaimed Ndebele mural painter who has travelled the world promoting her culture.

Department of arts & culture spokesperson Asanda Magaqa said the department plans to publish books on "living human treasures" to acknowledge and recognise them.

“Dr Esther Mahlangu is an artist who is world famous for her bold large-scale contemporary paintings that reference her Ndebele heritage. Mabasa is a world-renowned artist who works primarily in ceramic and wood sculpture, influenced by her heritage

"This type of content could be exactly what is needed to grow active book readers, hence the department has long recognised that a culture of reading and writing needs to be established and that the book industry needs to be sustainable and support all South African languages."

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