William Kentridge: Officially Africa’s Most Powerful Artist

South African artist William Kentridge has officially been named Africa’s most powerful artist in the annual ArtReview Power 100 list, an accolade that sees him beat out major international art names like Marina Abramović and Olafur Elliason.

It’s not the first time that the Johannesburg-based artist has been included in the prestigious list — created by art magazine ArtReview and frequently referred to as the “Forbes List” of the art world. But this year, Kentridge moves up the list to position 58, from 2016’s position at 62.

“It’s hard to keep up with Kentridge, who’s been working on events, operas, exhibitions and long-term installations globally this past year,” ArtReview says in their motivations for his inclusion.

“In 2017 the artist has had gallery exhibitions in Berlin, Milan, Paris and New York, and significant shows at SFMOMA [San Francisco Museum of Modern Art] and the Cincinnati Art Museum, while his “Thick Time” exhibition toured from the Whitechapel Gallery, London, to the Museum der Moderne Salzburg and the Louisiana Museum in Denmark.” Read more