William Kentridge (born April 28, 1955, in Johannesburg) is a South African artist widely known for his collages, drawings, prints, and animated films. He gained international recognition after participating in the 1997 Johannesburg Biennale, the Havana Biennial, and Documenta X. Through the use of video and drawing, Kentridge presents a powerful and symbolic reflection on the current state of South Africa.

In 1976, he earned a degree in Politics and African Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand, and later studied art at the Johannesburg Art Foundation until 1978. During that period, he worked as a designer for film productions and taught printmaking before moving to Paris in 1981 to study theatre at the École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq.

During the 1980s, Kentridge worked as an art director for various television series. It was during this time that he began creating animated films using his own drawings. Although his work is not directly tied to the apartheid era, he has gained worldwide recognition as an artist who addresses themes such as colonialism and apartheid. His short films are often set in the industrial and mining landscape of Johannesburg—a symbol of exploitation and injustice.

Kentridge’s work is primarily created by filming his charcoal drawings, then erasing, altering, and re-filming them—capturing only two frames per drawing—using the movie camera as if it were a still camera. He continues this meticulous process, modifying each drawing until the scene is complete. The result is later presented as animated art films.

Beyond drawing and film, a significant part of his career is tied to his passion for theatre. From 1975 to 1991, he was a member of the Junction Avenue Theatre Company in Johannesburg and Soweto. In 1992, he began collaborating as an actor, director, and set designer with the Handspring Puppet Company. This company, known for staging productions such as Woyzeck, Faust, and Ubu Roi, creates multimedia pieces combining puppetry, live actors, and animation.