William Kentridge presents his first exhibition with Hauser & Wirth in New York, titled "A natural history of the studio." The show features his acclaimed episodic film series "Self-portrait as a coffee-pot" (completed in 2024) alongside over seventy works on paper and sculptures. Spanning two floors at 542 West 22nd Street and extending to the gallery's 18th Street location, the exhibition includes charcoal drawings used in the film's animation, Paper procession sculptures, and the animated video "Fugitive words" (2024). The installation, designed by longtime collaborator Sabine Theunissen, evokes Kentridge's Johannesburg studio environment.
The exhibition matters because it is the first to present all drawings from Kentridge's filmic masterpiece, which critics have hailed as a synthesis of the personal and political. Shot during the COVID-19 pandemic, "Self-portrait as a coffee-pot" explores themes of Greek mythology, colonialism, mining history, and Soviet absurdities through Kentridge's signature stop-motion and live-action techniques. The show also highlights Kentridge's ongoing exploration of drawing, sculpture, and animation, reinforcing his status as a leading contemporary artist whose work challenges grand narratives using humble materials.