Brief Biography
Gwenneth Miller is an established visual arts researcher, described by reviewers “as exemplary and of national and growing international standing”. Furthermore, her artistic practice “integrates theoretical frameworks, ranging from psychoanalysis and posthumanism to material thinking and ecological philosophy, into a diverse practice that includes drawing, painting, curation, installation, and digital media” (Report of international reviewer reviewers by NRF 2025). 

Miller was appointed as an art lecturer at Unisa in 1997, the same year in which she completed her Masters in Fine Art in the aesthetics of the sublime at the University of Pretoria. During the early lecturing years, she initiated several local and African collaborative projects, such as the large-scale projections for the play, “Die Verraaier” (2003), performed at the Aula (University of Pretoria), and the multimedia project “the Journey to Freedom Narratives” (2004), performed at ZK Matthews Hall, Unisa. This project travelled to several museums in the USA (2005-2008) and empowered multiple rural communities, students and alumni.  

During her doctoral research, she applied models of intermediality from literary arts to visual arts. Through practice-led research, the interdisciplinary dialogue was explored not only through text but also in a wide range of media, including painting, drawing, installation and digital processes

She has been the recipient of various awards: Gregoire Boonzaier Prize for Painting as a student (1983 & 1984), the FNB Gold Award: the collaborative project the Journey to Freedom narratives (2004), Unisa Woman of the Year Nominee: for leadership and mentorship roles in relation to Women-in-the-Workplace (2007), a Unisa Women-in-Research Award (2012), the meritorious Robin Aldwinckle bursary, and the award for Creative Output Excellence by Unisa (2021). Miller participated in numerous exhibitions and projects and her works are represented in private and public collections such as ABSA Bank, Telkom, Centurion City Council, UNISA (University of South Africa), SAMHS (South African Military Health Services), SASOL, Northwest University, The Art Bank (South Africa), SANAVA (South African Association of Visual Artists) and Pretoria Art Museum.

In 2025 she received the much-desired “C2” NRF rating, recognising her valuable contribution to the South African academic and visual art culture.