George Fenech was born in Mellieħa on the 3rd of January, 1926. He studied at the Malta Government School of Art under Vincent Apap and Emvin Cremona. In 1956 he won the School of Art Scholarship for painting and proceeded to the Regia Academia di Belle Arti in Rome, where he studied painting under Amerigo Bartoli, etching under Mino Maccari and history of art under Mario Rivosecchi.

On the recommendation of Michele Guerrisi, the Director of the Academy, his scholarship was extended by another year to further his studies at the Scuola Arti Ornamentali San Giacomo, where he studied decorative art under Ferruccio Ferrazzi and fresco technique under Ciotti. During his stay in Rome he also regularly attended the life-class at the Circolo Artistico.

Fenech’s oeuvre includes portraits, genre, religious work, still-lifes and landscapes. His work can be classified into three main periods; that belonging to his early years at the Malta Government School of Art (1946-1956), the Roman period (1957-1960) which marks a radical change in his work, and the post-Roman period (1961-2011).

Fenech was very versatile and prolific, but he is mostly well-known for his landscapes, in which his output was extensive. His landscapes are mostly inspired by the valleys and farmhouses around Mellieħa village. His personal, poetic vision is one of the most important elements of 20th century art in Malta. He held several personal exhibitions locally and also took part in several collective exhibitions in Malta, London, Edinburgh, Germany and the USA. His works are to be found in private collections in Malta, Italy, Germany, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the USA.

During his long teaching career, Fenech managed to instil a profound love for art in his students, and he was responsible for the artistic education of a number of artists.

In 2010, H.E. Dr George Abela, President of Malta honoured Fenech with the Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika (Medal for Service to the Republic) for his contribution towards the local artistic scene both through his prolific production of paintings and also for his long teaching carrier.

George Fenech passed away on the 21st of August, 2011, aged 85. His death has certainly left a void in the local art scene but his expression embraced an enduring legacy.