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William Kentridge — Porter Series: Man with Bed on Back
William Kentridge

Porter Series: Man with Bed on Back

2000

A monumental figure strains under the weight of a bed strapped to his back, rendered in the rich, tactile textures of mohair and silk embroidery that are characteristic of Kentridge's collaboration with the Stephens Tapestry Studio. The work draws on Kentridge's ongoing exploration of labor, burden, and the colonial legacy of South Africa, evoking the anonymous porters and workers whose physical toil has long been rendered invisible by history. The tapestry medium transforms his signature charcoal-like aesthetic into a luminous, woven surface, bridging the handcrafted and the political.

Medium
mohair, silk and embroidered tapestry

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February 28, 2017

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About this work

William Kentridge, Porter Series: Man with Bed on Back, 2000

A monumental figure strains under the weight of a bed strapped to his back, rendered in the rich, tactile textures of mohair and silk embroidery that are characteristic of Kentridge's collaboration with the Stephens Tapestry Studio. The work draws on Kentridge's ongoing exploration of labor, burden, and the colonial legacy of South Africa, evoking the anonymous porters and workers whose physical toil has long been rendered invisible by history. The tapestry medium transforms his signature charcoal-like aesthetic into a luminous, woven surface, bridging the handcrafted and the political.

Medium
mohair, silk and embroidered tapestry
Year
2000
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

Tapestry, Muted Earth Tones, Labour And Burden, Male Artist, Expressionism, South African Artist, Embroidery, Contemporary Artist, Muted Tones, Contemporary Master, Social Commentary, Figurative Art, Late 20th Century, Expressionist, Monochromatic, Textile Art, Labor And Burden, Somber Mood, Mohair And Silk

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