George Milwa Mnyaluza Pemba Retrospective Exhibition

George Milwa Mnyaluza Pemba, was born in Hills Kraal in Korsten, Port Elizabeth on the 2 April 1912, the second youngest of six children to parents Titus and Rebecca. His father was a foreman at a shoe factory and an elder of their Presbyterian church, whilst his mothers side of the family were craftsmen, dressmakers and tailors. As a child Pembas father encouraged him to draw and to paint, which he did in their family home, creating portraits from his fathers photographs. He continued to concentrate on portraits for his career and looked closely at depicting the rural and urban genre, especially that of the Eastern Cape where he spent most of his life. Pembas depictions of life scenes expose his great interest in local life and local people and a great sense of narrative is present within these works. Yet, to look at this genre as a simple record of township life does not allow for the complicated constructions of a historical context to be formed. Pembas varied borrowing and knowledge of subject matter, including his portraits, forms a personal and ambiguous presentation.

Softcover. English. South African National Gallery. 1996. ISBN: 1874817146. 106 pp. Good. Book No: 2506935