William

Kentridge

on

Politics,

South

Africa

and

Elon

Musk

The Times' Kirsty Lang interviews William Kentridge on his upbringing, South African history, and artistic practice, coinciding with his first major sculpture exhibition outside South Africa at Yorkshire Sculpture Park on view until 19 April 2026.

To understand Kentridge you need to know that he started in theatre before he began drawing. He is best known for his bold black-and-white charcoal works and animated films that reflect on the politics and history of South Africa. A fan of the Dadaists and Jonathan Swift, he runs a thread of absurdist humour through much of his work.