Born in Johannesburg in 1955, William Kentridge graduated in 1976 from the University of Witwatersrand with majors in political science and African studies. From 1976 to 1978, Kentridge studied fine art at the Johannesburg Art Foundation, where he later taught printmaking. He also completed a course in mime and theatre at L'Ecole Jacques LeCoq, Paris, in 1981­82.

Kentridge has been active in the film and theater industries since the mid-1970s, working as a writer, director, actor and designer. He was a founding member of the Junction Avenue Theatre Company, which was based in Johannesburg and Soweto from 1975 to 1991, and instrumental in the establishment of the Free Filmmakers Cooperative in Johannesburg in 1988. Kentridge's drawings and animated films have been exhibited widely. A recipient of several prestigious awards for his contribution to the art world, Kentridge continues to live and work in Johannesburg.