Visual Artist William Kentridge to Receive Inamori Foundation’s 26th Annual Kyoto Prize for Lifetime Achievement in "Arts and Philosophy”

The non-profit Inamori Foundation (President: Dr. Kazuo Inamori) today announced that Mr. William Kentridge will receive its 26^th annual Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy. Mr. Kentridge, 55, will receive 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.” These works reflect the history and social circumstances of South Africa, where he lives and works. One of his early creations, a series of films featuring the character Soho Eckstein, tells the pains inflicted by the history of his home country. This series drew worldwide attention as an artistic expression 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. His deep insights and profound reflections on the nature of human existence provide opportunities to consider fundamental issues that could face any individual in the world.

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 a great 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), 47, 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; and
• 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.

About the Inamori Foundation and the Kyoto Prize

As Japan’s highest private award for global achievement, the Kyoto Prize honors significant contributions to the betterment of society. Each Kyoto Prize laureate will be presented with a diploma, a 20-karat-gold Kyoto Prize medal, and a cash gift totaling 50 million yen (approximately US$550,000) during a week of ceremonies beginning November 9, 2010, in Kyoto. The laureates will reconvene in San Diego, Calif., April 4-6, 2011, for the tenth annual Kyoto Prize Symposium.

The non-profit Inamori Foundation was established in 1984 by Dr. Kazuo Inamori, founder and chairman emeritus of Kyocera (NYSE:KYO) and KDDI Corporation. The Kyoto Prize was founded 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. An emblematic feature of the Kyoto Prize is that it is presented not only in recognition of outstanding achievements, but also in honor of the excellent personal characteristics that have shaped those achievements. The laureates are selected through a strict and impartial process considering candidates recommended from around the world. As of the 25^th Kyoto Prize ceremony (November 10, 2009), the Kyoto Prize has been awarded to 81 individuals and one foundation — collectively representing 13 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 (33), followed by Japan (13), the United Kingdom (12), and France (8).

For more information and/or photos, visit: www.kyotoprize.org.