Gladys Mgudlandlu

Noted as one of the first African women in South Africa to hold a solo exhibition, she was a pioneer in visual arts in her country, for which she was given the Presidential Order of Ikhamanga in Silver.

She was raised mainly by her grandmother, who taught her traditional painting styles from their Xhosa and Fingo heritage, and about the birds native to their region.

[2] Mgudlandlu worked as an art teacher in Langa, Cape Town at the Athlone Bantu Community School for fifteen years.

However, when the Bantu Education Act of 1953 was enforced, Mgudlandlu was not allowed to teach at the school under the apartheid regime.

Her grandmother’s death, seen by some as not only a great loss but a liberation for Mugudlandlu, sparked an artistic awakening Archived 12 April 2021 at the Wayback Machine.

In 2007, Mgudlandlu was posthumously awarded the Presidential Order of Ikhamanga in Silver for her contributions to South African art.

[9] A biography by Elza Miles, Nomfanekiso Who Paints at Night: The Art of Gladys Mgudlandlu was published in 2003.

[6] A show of works by Mgudlandlu and Valerie Desmore, titled "A Fragile Archive," was on display at Johannesburg Art Gallery in 2012.

[10] Filmmaker Kemang Wa Lehulere made "The Bird Lady" (2015), a short documentary about Mgudlandlu.

[12] Mgudlandlu herself and her exhibitions have provided historians and the general public with the current understanding of rural and township life in the recent past.

These type of works can be seen as idealizations, but looking closer reveals that Mgudlandlu had constructed them to convey intentional bizarre qualities.

The clear nod to impressionism and post-impressionism is seen in the cubism-esque, repetitive and exploratory brushstrokes that can also be found in European post-impressionist artist's works such as Cezanne.

Her bird's eye view perspective can be seen here and is thought of as an expression of her personal sadness and disappointment with these living conditions, as well as a "desire for liberation".