El Anatsui is a Ghanaian multimedia artist who has gained recognition as one of the most celebrated artists in the history of Africa and a leading figure in the contemporary art scene. He has spent a significant portion of his career residing and working in Nigeria. At present, he oversees a thriving studio practice located in Nsukka, Enugu, Nigeria, and Tema, Ghana, where some of the most exquisite and moving pieces of art are created.
El Anatsui began teaching at the University of Nigeria in 1975 and later rose to become a professor of sculpture there. His renowned bottle-cap tapestries gained popularity in the early 2000s, and his art has since been collected by prestigious institutions such as the British Museum in London and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Anatsui was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale in 2015.
El Anatsui uses materials that are often considered waste, including liquor bottle caps, cassava graters, and newspaper printing plates to create impressive tapestries and craft sculptures that defy traditional classification. His practice which is characterized by repurposing found materials into dazzling works of abstract art reflect his interest in recycling and transformation. Anatsui’s work explores themes of environment, consumption and trade. He also addresses the historical impact of colonialism and draws parallels between consumption and the natural world of these materials.
While the bottle caps are perhaps the most recognizable materials in his art, Anatsui has used a range of found materials, including milk tins, driftwood, railway sleepers, iron nails, and printing plates. Anatsui’s sculptures are usually monumental, consisting of countless folded and crumpled aluminium bottle caps obtained from nearby alcohol recycling centers and secured with copper wire. These grand elaborate creations, which can reach enormous proportions, exhibit both precision craftsmanship and pliability. Anatsui intentionally keeps his installations open, urging the pieces to transform into fresh configurations with each installation.
