Gladys Mgudlandlu

Gladys Mgudlandlu (1917 — 17 February 1979) was a South African artist and educator. 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 drew influences from her cultural background and the landscape around her.

Quotes

• Birds have always been my companions. I am a very lonely person. They are the only real friends that I have had. Sometimes I think I should have been a bird. I even paint like a bird. You will notice that all my landscapes are done from a bird’s view, high up and far away.
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Quotes about Gladys Mgudlandlu

• But of course she is also known for her landscapes. Her practice was quite contentious in terms of the subject. Many critics argued that it was influenced by the white people she was in contact with, for instance her gallerist. For me, there is something very exciting about her imagery of birds and landscapes.
  • Interview by Britta Färber with Kemang Wa Lehulere as published in Bird Song, 2017.