Artist Database

Emily Isabel Fern was an active and significant figure in the Johannesburg art scene for almost half a century. She was born in Australia in 1881 and emigrated to South Africa in 1890. The family initially settled in Johannesburg where she was taught oil painting by a nun at the End Street Convent. Between 1899 and 1904, Fern and her parents lived in Port Elizabeth and she received art training at the Technical College there. After this stint, she returned to Johannesburg and studied pastel drawing under George Smithard. In 1916, she was one of the first students at the Johannesburg School of Art and worked with J.H. Amshewitz. Fern became a member of the South African Society of Artists (SASA) and was an art instructor at the Protea Studio on Market Street in Johannesburg. From 1920 to 1922 she studied at the Slade School of Art in London, UK. After returning to South Africa, she taught painting at the Wits Technical College Art School from 1926 to 1930. In 1933, she went to Paris and was mentored by Andre Lhote whose figurative Cubism greatly influenced her artistic style.