New Street Mural Honors South African Artist In Tribeca

TRIBECA, NY — A new mural painted on a stretch of a Tribeca street pays tribute to the iconic South African artist Esther Mahlangu and brings vibrant color to a previously standard Citi Bike station.

The mural, unveiled on Wednesday, was painted by the emerging artist Imani Shanklin-Roberts as a tribute to Mahlangu on a small stretch of roadway near Franklin Street between West Broadway and Varick Street. The roadway, which is free from car traffic, is home to one the city's most frequently used Citi Bike stations. The new mural was commissioned and installed thanks to a partnership between Citi Bike and South African Tourism, a marketing group for the country.

Mahlangu, 81, has long been one of the most internationally recognized South African artists. Mahlangu is known for her vibrant, bold paintings in the Ndebele tradition. In the Ndebele homelands, located in the northeastern region of the country near Swaziland, painting is traditionally down by women to women. Mahlangu's art has been exhibited around the world, and she's been commissioned to paint everything from massive murals to cars.

Shanklin-Roberts, a 2014 graduate of New York's Pratt Institute, was commissioned to create the work, which she completed over a period of three days in Tribeca.

Image credit: Ciara McCarthy / Patch