William Kentridge Received 2010 Kyoto Prize in "Arts and Philosophy" for Original Contributions to the Visual Arts

South African artist to speak at University of San Diego in April 2011

Photo downloads: Laureate William Kentridge

KYOTO, JAPAN — November 10, 2010 — The non-profit Inamori Foundation (President: Dr. Kazuo Inamori) today presented Mr. William Kentridge with its 26th annual Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy, which focuses for 2010 on the arts (including painting, sculpture, craft, architecture and design).

A citizen of South Africa, Mr. Kentridge, 55, received the award for his originality as an artist whose wide-ranging activities encompass drawing, animation, stage direction and writing.
Mr. Kentridge’s Work
In the late 1980s, Mr. Kentridge began creating his signature animated films known as “drawings in motion,” which reflect the history and social circumstances of South Africa. One of his early creations, a series of films featuring the character Soho Eckstein, tells of the pains inflicted by the history of his home country. This series drew worldwide attention as an artistic work resonating with postcolonial criticism.
Using a simple technique that he himself calls “stone-age filmmaking” — namely, the laborious process of filming, frame by frame, a series of ceaselessly changing charcoal and pastel drawings — Mr. Kentridge has injected the traditional technique of drawing into diverse media, including animation, video projection and stage set design. In so doing, he has created a new contemporary vehicle of artistic expression within which various media fuse together in multiple ways. Although his works deal with the history and social circumstances of a specific geographic area, they have acquired universality through their deep insights and profound reflections on the nature of human existence.
Underlying his works and activities is a determination to examine universal issues confronting modern people. He accomplishes this by traveling back through the history of visual expression, persistently questioning such issues as the ways in which people may build a relationship with the world, the ambiguities of goodwill and oppression, and the conflicting and ambivalent disposition of the individual. While remaining in the remote country of South Africa, Mr. Kentridge continues to make an impact on contemporary art in Western society. His world, full of sharp intelligence and profound poetry, exerts great influence on other artists — and provides individuals worldwide with courage and hope that their attempts and practices may still be effective and fundamental, even amid the stagnation of our contemporary society, swirling with political and social unrest.
Other 2010 Kyoto Prize Laureates
In addition to Mr. Kentridge, this year’s Kyoto Prize laureates include:

• In “Advanced Technology:” Dr. Shinya Yamanaka (citizenship: Japan), 48, a medical scientist, senior investigator at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease in San Francisco; professor at Kyoto University; and director of CiRA, Kyoto University's Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, who pioneered a technology for producing induced pluripotent (iPS) stem cells without the use of embryos.
  
  
• In “Basic Sciences:” Dr. László Lovász (citizenship: Hungary and U.S.), 62, director of the Mathematical Institute at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, and president of the International Mathematics Union, who has provided a link among numerous branches of the mathematical sciences in terms of algorithms through his advanced research on discrete structures.

All three 2010 Kyoto Prize laureates will reconvene April 4-6, 2011 for the tenth annual Kyoto Prize Symposium in San Diego, California.

The Kyoto Prize
The Kyoto Prize is Japan’s highest private award for global achievement, honoring significant contributions to the betterment of humankind. It consists of a diploma, a 20-karat-gold Kyoto Prize medal, and a cash gift totaling 50 million yen (approximately US$610,000) per category.

The Inamori Foundation
The non-profit Inamori Foundation was established in 1984 by Dr. Kazuo Inamori, founder and chairman emeritus of Kyocera and KDDI Corporation. The Foundation created the Kyoto Prize in 1985, in line with Dr. Inamori’s belief that a human being has no higher calling than to strive for the greater good of society, and that the future of humanity can be assured only when there is a balance between our scientific progress and our spiritual depth. As of the 26th Kyoto Prize ceremony (November 10, 2010), the prize has been awarded to 84 individuals and one foundation — collectively representing 15 nations. Individual laureates range from scientists, engineers and researchers to philosophers, painters, architects, sculptors, musicians and film directors.  The United States has produced the most recipients (34), followed by Japan (14), the United Kingdom (12), and France (8).