Sleeper Red

South African artist William Kentridge is internationally known for his politically-inspired art. He often focuses on the issue of social responsibility, an especially powerful subject for those who experienced the violence and hatred created by South African apartheid. In Sleeper Red, Kentridge portrays a male figure (based on his own self-portrait), to represent the archetypical white South African who, by birthright, benefited from this anti-democratic political system. As such, the figure becomes a symbol of all individuals who fail to stand up to social injustice or are otherwise compliant with human suffering.