Mother with baby 1989

George Pemba made this drawing of a Mother with Baby in 1989, and you can see the way he used colored pencils, layering strokes to build up the figures, is a process of finding form. Look at how Pemba uses color – not to copy real life, but to create depth and shadow. The skin tones aren't just one shade, but a mix of browns, blues, and even pinks, giving the figures a sense of weight and presence. And notice the headscarf – it’s almost abstract, a collection of lines and colors that suggest form without defining it too strictly. The baby on the mothers back is rendered in a light brown, which contrasts with the other colors used in the piece. There's a rawness and immediacy to Pemba’s work that reminds me of early Picasso, where the process of making is laid bare, inviting us to participate in the act of seeing. Art isn’t about answers; it’s about the questions we ask and the conversations we have.