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William Kentridge
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South Africa
• 1955
I make reality, or what I want to be reality, part of the work.
Biography
William Kentridge is a South African artist, actor, director, and artistic director born in Johannesburg, 1955. Before turning to fine arts, Kentridge obtained a license in political science. At the end of the 1970s, he became interested in mime and theater and joined the Lecoq School in Paris. He became an actor and director in Johannesburg, South Africa, and then moved on to become an artistic director.
William Kentridge is known for his animation technique. Instead of using the classic technique of tracing several black charcoal drawings on successive sheets of paper, he only uses one sheet for the entire animation. Thus, the lines of the previous images are not erased but remain clearly visible as the film or cartoon progresses. He also stages operas. Kentridge tackles a variety of themes, ranging from politics to societal issues, including his daily life. A fierce apartheid fighter, and son of a white South African lawyer, he fought all his life to put an end to this political system which he considered unjust and inhuman. As a committed artist, he defended many figures of the ANC.
William Kentridge is internationally renowned. In 1997, his work was exhibited at the Domenta X in Kassel. A year later, he participated in the Sao Paulo Biennale and then in Venice. He has traveled the world to present his work, ranging from New York to Berlin and from London to Tokyo. In 1998, he was part of the selection of artists to compete for the Hugo Boss Prize for Contemporary Art.
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