‘The studio is an enlarged head. The images on the walls of the room and their movement stand in for the emergence and movement of thoughts in the head. The world is invited into the studio. There it is fragmented. The fragments are rearranged and sent back out into the world as a drawing, a performance, or a text.’
— William Kentridge

On the occasion of the exhibition ‘William Kentridge. A Natural History of the Studio,’ the Learning from the Studio series will offer free hands-on art-making opportunities exploring history, memory and transformation.

All abilities are welcome. Materials will be provided.

This event series is free, but capacity is limited. Reservations are required. Photographs will be taken at this event for use on Hauser & Wirth’s website and social media channels, and in other marketing materials.

Writing from the Studio
Thurs 24 July, 3 – 5 pm
Hauser & Wirth, 22nd Street
Participate in an afternoon of creative writing inspired by the exhibition ‘William Kentridge. A Natural History of the Studio.’ Attendees will write their own creative narratives in response to works on view and guided prompts.

Mapping Identity
Mon 28 July, 6 – 8 pm
Hauser & Wirth, 22nd Street
Drawing on William Kentridge’s method of transforming printed media, participants will transform maps into imaginative new cityscapes through collage.

Alternate Self Portraits
Tues 29 July, 6 – 8 pm
Hauser & Wirth, 18th Street
In this workshop led by Artistic Noise Teaching Artist Samantha Cortez, participants will use various drawing techniques to create object-based self-portraits inspired by the work of William Kentridge.

Black Out: Exploring Ink with the Works of William Kentridge
Wed 30 July, 1 – 3 pm
Hauser & Wirth, 18th Street
Teens are invited to explore painting with ink wash inspired by William Kentridge’s ‘Self Portrait as a Coffee Pot’ series.

Alternate Self Portraits
Thurs 31 July, 6 – 8 pm
Hauser & Wirth, 18th Street
In this workshop led by Artistic Noise Teaching Artists Joseph Goodwin and Carlos Nuñez, participants will use various drawing techniques to create object-based self-portraits inspired by the work of William Kentridge.

About the exhibition
With ‘A Natural History of the Studio,’ his first exhibition with Hauser & Wirth in New York, renowned South African artist William Kentridge will present his acclaimed episodic film series ‘Self-Portrait as a Coffee-Pot’ with more than seventy works on paper integral to its creation and an array of sculptures at 542 West 22nd Street. This immersive exhibition is the first ever to present all the drawings from this filmic masterpiece, hailed by critics as a moving, witty and ultimately wondrous synthesis of the personal and the political, the individual and the universal. Spanning two floors of the gallery’s 22nd Street building, ‘A Natural History of the Studio’ also extends to the gallery’s 18th Street location with a concise survey of Kentridge’s printmaking practice.