Obituary for George Msimang (1948/1951 - 2004)
by Kresta Tyler Johnson
It has been a sad month for the South African art world with the loss of another talented artist. George Msimang was a painter who possessed a unique ability to capture urban life with humour and courage. Msimang worked with oil, watercolour and gouache, as well as charcoal, pastel, pencil and ink.
His delicate portrayal of political and social issues while recording township scenes, as well as his versatile style, endeared him to audiences. As Anthea Martin, Director of the African Art Centre in Durban, proclaimed, Msimang "is considered a modern-day Hogarth for his depiction of everyday events, often containing a moral message".
Msimang studied at Rorke's Drift before receiving a grant to study at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome and later at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Perugia. He partook in many exhibitions, and his work is found in numerous local and international collections.
