Esther Mahlangu
Esther Mahlangu

It was my first time at the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago at 740 E. 56th Place and I had the opportunity to not only visit the museum, but to meet famous South African artist Esther Mahlangu. Esther is an artist of a few words (as her English is limited!) but has a big mission on her hands. In partnership with musician John Legend and Belvedere (RED), she brings to life the campaign foundation’s values for the new Belvedere Red bottle design: unity, security, support and change. These are the values that have built up the efforts to fight against HIV/AIDS.

Esther Mahlangu Is From the Ndebele Tribe of South Africa

Since an early age, she started painting exteriors of houses following her local traditions. She doesn’t use any rulers to create strait lines in her designs and painting with chicken feathers are a better choice instead of expensive brushes. A painting might take her a few days or longer depending on how big it is. You can find art work by Esther in cities like Washington DC, New York, Paris and London.

Teaching Village Traditions to Girls 

Esther Mahlangu’s other focus is to teach young girls something that is more than art. Her goal is to teach the village traditions of the Ndebele tribe and maintain the culture and keep it alive.

During this special occasion and partnership, when you buy a bottle of Belvedere (RED), you are automatically donating 50% of the profits to the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa.