"Kentridge has been making large-scale drawings of flowers for several years. The most recent, “Oh To Believe in Another World”, has been created especially for this exhibition. These are often very personal drawings, such as “Enough of This Scandal”, which reflects the domestic setting of his home, sometimes featuring flower arrangements sent to the artist or his family to commemorate special events. Adopting the style of traditional Chinese paintings, Kentridge uses quotations from historical philosophical and medical texts advocating the health benefits of certain plants. These pithy sayings ... reference Mao-era maxims exhorting the people to make ever greater sacrifices in the collective interests of the nation. Made using Chinese brushes and Indian ink, these free-flowing drawings usually cover several overlapping sheets of paper, which are secured to complete the image and held in place by drawing pins, as they are hung in Kentridge’s studio. In many cases they reflect other images or reference other artists, such as postcards of famous paintings like Edouard Manet’s “The Execution of Maximillian” (1867–68) or Félix Nadar’s photographic portrait of Manet (c. 1867) in “Oh To Believe in Another World”. The impressive scale of these drawings can be overwhelming, dwarfing the viewer while amplifying the resonance of the flowers as gifts of personal importance.” Dr Adrian Locke Senior Curator Royal Academy of Arts, London Gallery view of the William Kentridge exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, from 24 September - 11 December 2022. © William Kentridge. Photo: © Royal Academy of Arts, London / David Parry Exhibition design: @sabine.theunissen