George Boys

Articulate, widely read, infectiously enthusiastic yet down to earth, George Boys has played an invaluable and pioneering role in the art world and South Africa, both as an artist and teacher.

He was schooled at Florida High School after which he studied at Wits Technical Art School from 1949-1953.

He then became a lecturer at the Pretoria Art Centre in 1954. In 1963 he was appointed Vice Principal of the Johannesburg Art School and in 1966 he founded the Visual Arts Research School. In 1970 he decided to become a full time artist. Inspired in his formative years, mainly by Kandinsky, the American abstract expressionist and also by Japanese calligraphy,

George went on to become one of our most accomplished non-figurative, abstract painters. In 1962 he had his first one man exhibition of abstract art and sold out on the opening evening. George Boys has represented South Africa internationally and his works are also found in major public and private collections.

George lived in Florida near Johannesburg until he emigrated to New Plymouth in New Zealand in 1996. He continued to teach and paint there, sending much of his work overseas, remaining loyal to his South African clients and supplying South Africa with his art until he was unable to paint.

He was always fascinated by the concept of change, which was evident in his artwork and life. He never stopped exploiting Paul Klee’s concept that: An artist’s function is to make visible the invisible.