PROVENANCE

Private Collection, Canterbury, New Zealand Purchased in South Africa circa 1960 by current family owners

Born in Port Elizabeth 1912, Milwa Mnyaluza 'George' Pemba developed an early love of drawing, encouraged by his parents. After winning a scholarship at the age of 16, Pemba developed his signature style, drawing portraits and depicting life around him.

Under the apartheid regime, Pemba continued to practice his art, thanks largely to the support of his wife Eunice, who ran a shop in the township. In 1990, a major exhibition of Pemba works at the Everard Read Gallery in Johannesburg brought him national attention. He is renowned for his unembellished honesty, fine draftsmanship, expressive colour and strong sense of composition.

My objective is to interpret the feeling of my people George Pemba