Esther Mahlangu’s first UK public mural to debut at Serpentine

Acclaimed Ndebele artist unveils monumental work celebrating community and interconnectedness in Kensington Gardens.

Esther Mahlangu, photo by Clint Strydom, courtesy of The Melrose Gallery.

This autumn, Serpentine will unveil a new site-specific mural by South African artist Esther Mahlangu, marking her first public artwork in the UK. The mural, titled Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu, will be on display in the garden at Serpentine North from 4 October 2024. Known for her vibrant geometric paintings rooted in Ndebele culture, Mahlangu’s work celebrates themes of community and unity, reflecting the interconnectedness of people and cultures.

Born in 1935, Mahlangu has been creating large-scale, site-specific works for over eight decades. She learned traditional Ndebele painting techniques from her mother and grandmother, using natural pigments mixed with clay, soil, and cow dung. Eschewing modern tools like stencils and tape, Mahlangu paints intricate designs by hand with chicken feathers and various brushes, a practice that has made her work internationally recognisable. For Umuntu Ngumuntu Ngabantu, which will be presented in the garden at Serpentine North, Mahlangu has painted her signature Ndebele patterns across sixteen wooden panels.

Esther Mahlangu, photo by Clint Strydom, courtesy of The Melrose Gallery.

This mural will be accompanied by a new book on Mahlangu’s life and work, published by Thames & Hudson, and is one of the artist’s largest works to date in a museum context. Bettina Korek, CEO, and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director of Serpentine, have praised Mahlangu as a visionary artist who continues to inspire emerging talents. This vibrant mural will be displayed in conversation with the striking architecture of Zaha Hadid’s Serpentine North, contributing to a rich history of public art presentations at Serpentine.

Serpentine has a long-standing commitment to bringing art into the public realm, offering artists a chance to engage with the natural surroundings of Kensington Gardens. Mahlangu’s mural joins the legacy of past works by notable artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Gerhard Richter, and Christo and Jeanne-Claude, as Serpentine continues to foster a dialogue between art, nature, and the public.

Date: 4 October – 28 September 2025. Location: Serpentine North , W Carriage Dr, London W2 2AR. serpentinegalleries.org.