William Kentridge (South Africa 1955-)
Head (Orange)

drypoint with hand-colouring on Vellin d'Arches paper

Artwork date: 1993
Signature details: signed and numbered 9/15 in pencil in the margin
Literature: Law-Viljoen, B. (ed.). (2008). 'Art and Justice: The Art of the Constitutional Court of South Africa', Johannesburg: David Krut Publishing, an example from the edition illustrated in colour p.139.
Law-Viljoen, B. (ed.). (2006). 'William Kentridge Prints', Johannesburg: David Krut, an example from the edition illustrated in colour on p.46.
Geers, K. (ed.). (1997). 'Contemporary South African Art. The Gencor Collection', Johannesburg: Jonathan Ball Publishers, an example from the edition illustrated on the front cover.
Exchange Rates*: USD 68 756,09 - 103 134,13
GBP 52 497,80 - 78 746,70
EURO 59 718,72 - 89 578,09

(1)

sheet size: 120 x 90 cm; plate size: 103 x 78.5 cm; framed size: 132.5 x 101.5 x 5.5 cm

Provenance:

Private collection, Cape Town.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Head (Orange) is part of a celebrated series of large-scale drypoint prints of upward-tilted heads, produced by William Kentridge in the early 1990s. Working with master printer Jack Shirreff at 107 Workshop in Wiltshire, UK, Kentridge engraved bold, expressive portraits on large copper plates, printing them on painted paper, overlaid with hand-torn colour-dipped fragments in various stencils. Versions were produced in orange (1993), blue (1993–98), and green (never editioned).

With only 15 editions printed, Head (Orange) is the rarest and most coveted in the series. The vibrant orange serves as a striking counterpoint to the etched grey and black tones, conveying both psychological intensity and hopefulness.

The upward tilt of the head and closed eyes suggest introspection, quiet resilience, and the fragile human condition while the scar-like etched lines reflect Kentridge’s ongoing dialogue with South Africa’s turbulent history. The tactile surface and layered composition recall his raw, expressive charcoal drawings and animated film frames, blending drawing, collage, and printmaking into a single, powerful work.

Building on the exploration of the human form seen in his 1989 drypoint Casspirs Full of Love, Head (Orange) offers a profound meditation on identity, memory and transformation. Every etched mark carries the artist’s thoughtful hand, making this work both technically assured and deeply evocative – an essential example of Kentridge’s mastery of print.

COLLECTOR'S NOTE

• In South Africa, other editions of Head (Orange) are held in the collections of the Constitutional Court and South32, Johannesburg (formerly Gencor, Johannesburg).

• Since 2011, editions of Head (Orange) have appeared at auction only eight times, with the present lot marking just the second occasion that an edition has been offered in South Africa.

• The auction record for Head (Orange) stands at £103,250, achieved in London in 2011.

• Only fifteen editions of Head (Orange) were printed, making it the rarest and most sought-after work in William Kentridge’s Head series.

• Published by David Krut Fine Art, London, Head (Orange) was printed by master printer Jack Shirreff at 107 Workshop, Wiltshire.

COLLECTIONS:

The artist is represented in numerous local and international collections, notably, the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Tate Modern, London; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, California; George Eastman Museum, New York; Honolulu Museum of Art, Honolulu; Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (KIA), Michigan; The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Chicago; Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town; University of Cape Town and the Zietz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, Cape Town.