I am interested in a political art, that is to say an art of ambiguity, contradiction, uncompleted gestures and uncertain ending - an art...in which optimism is kept in check, and nihilism at bay.
William Kentridge
William Kentridge b. 1955
Born in Johannesburg in 1955, where he currently lives and works, the art of William Kentridge often delves into the socio-political themes central to life in post-apartheid South Africa. His works, which span a variety of mediums, endeavor to break down pieces of his country’s history into focused fragments and then reassemble them into a new dialogue in an attempt to gain a greater understanding of what has taken place. A highly celebrated artist, he has received honorary doctorates from several institutions including Yale University and the University of London as well as numerous awards such as recently, the Princesa de Asturias Award for the Arts, Spain and the Antonio Feltrinelli International Prize, Italy. He served as a Humanitas Visiting Professor in Contemporary Art at Oxford University in 2013 and was appointed an Honorary Academician of the Royal Academy in London in 2015. His works appear in major exhibitions and are held in museum collections worldwide including The Tate, London, Goetz Collection, Munich, the Museum of Modern Art, New York and the Art Institute of Chicago.