Halala! Mama Esther Mahlangu to be Dr Esther Mahlangu from now on
Esther Mahlangu to be conferred with an honourary doctorate by the University of Johannesburg on Monday.
If there is ever a question of how an embodiment of passion looks, then the answer is world renowned artist Esther Mahlangu and her being conferred with an honourary doctorate by UJ is well-deserved and so fitting.
It's graduation season in SA and Mzansi was super excited to hear that UJ would honour Mam' Esther with an honourary doctorate on Monday April 9.
The UJ has decided to honour Mam' Esther for "her legacy as a cultural entrepreneur & educator, skillfully negotiating local and global worlds".
UJ to confer honorary doctoral degree on renowned South African Ndebele artist, Esther Mahlangu
— University of JHB (@go2uj) April 9, 2018
Livestreamed on 9 April, Monday. Visit: https://t.co/gNbns4eTMl
artwork: Dav Andrew pic.twitter.com/UqvkUeGU2B
Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa also took to his Twitter to congratulate the internationally celebrated artist.
We are thrilled by the news that internationally renowned Artist, Mama Esther Mahlangu, will be conferred with an Honourary Doctorate by the University of Johannesburg for "her legacy as a cultural entrepreneur & educator, skillfully negotiating local and global worlds" pic.twitter.com/HOPcHc8lmw
— Min. Nathi Mthethwa (@NathiMthethwaSA) April 8, 2018
In case you are part of the 2000s squad or have simply been living under a rock, here are three visual representations of the times Mam' Esther did the most with her artistic talent on global stages:
When she made beemer famous.
That time when John Legend was blessed to work with her.
When she inspired a young artist's mural in New York.
Artist @imaniniasr Imani Shanklin Roberts celebrates Gogo Esther Mahlangu with a street mural in Tribeca. It's titled Xola (Stay in Peace). pic.twitter.com/7bKsBM5yDL
— Thato (@YoungAchieverSA) September 18, 2017
UJ will live stream her capping on their YouTube page.