On January 26, 2022, William Kentridge-Gefen, a genius of contemporary art from South Africa and his wife visited the Jewish community of Panevėžys.
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1955, the artist with Litvak roots has been known and honored in the arts for many decades, and his works have visited the world’s most important galleries and become part of large collections.
According to the guest, his ancestors came from the cities of Panevėžys and Utena – his great-grandfather Gefen was born and raised in the capital of Aukštaitija, and went to South America during the Second World War.
In the archives of the Panevėžys community, the guest viewed photos of buildings built by Jews before World War II. He also visited memorable Jewish heritage sites in the city.
When leaving, William Kentridge-Gefen assured that Panevėžys, like Lithuania, had left a very warm impression on him and he would always remember this trip.
