El Anatsui was born in Ghana, in 1944. He lost his mother as a baby and grew up with an uncle who was a Protestant church reverend. His father was a head fisherman and a master weaver.
El Anatsui reminisces about his father, recalling: “I remember he presented one of the Kente he wove to me when I was going to the university.” He also recalls having absolutely no interest in textiles at the time, stating: “I wasn’t interested in textiles. My work is now like textiles — but not.” He began his art education at the College of Art, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, one of Ghana's top universities. Upon graduating in 1975, El Anatsui embarked on a teaching career at the Fine Arts Department of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he held the position of Professor of Sculpture for over (!!) four decades.
If you browse through El Anatsui’s works on his website, you will notice how his art has evolved and the long journey the artist has made to reach what we see today. El Anatsui started with wood — his first works from 1972 to 1976 were a series of, let’s say, plates made from old wooden display trays collected in the town markets of Ghana. Each tray was etched with graphic symbols from Ghanaian textiles.
Conglomeration (1973–75) by El Anatsui
In 1975, he began working with ceramics and clay when he moved from Ghana to Nigeria to teach at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
If you think during his artists journey El Anatsui dedicated himself only to sculpture, always searching for the best material, that wouldn’t be true. He also drew, using ink and acrylic.
Untitled (1980’s) by El Anatsui
Around 1987, El Anatsui began to explore wood again. However, he didn’t create plates. Instead, he made intricate figures and wall hangings, which marked the beginning of his current works. During that time, his first huge wall hangings appeared.
Old Towel (1993) by El Anatsui
One of our favourite works from that time is "Devotees," 1987, made from black afar wood. Its cartoon-like faces recall mass-produced totems piled high in souvenir shops.
Devotees (1987) by El Anatsui
Then, of course, there is "Cire Perdue," 2019 — a series of three boats standing vertically.
Cire Perdue (2019) by El Anatsui
At Art Dubai this year, El Anatsui presented an artwork called "The Bend In The River," made of tropical hardwood and aluminum bottle caps.
The Bend In The River (2022) by El Anatsui. Courtesy of Efie Gallery and Artist
As time went on, the artist increasingly focused on recycled metal, using it in his works and connecting elements with wire. This led to the creation of the "Peak Project," made from condensed milk cans. And then came the well-known "Woman’s Cloth" and "Man’s Cloth," made from liquor bottle caps.
El Anatsui’s choice of these materials is explained on the website of Jack Shainman Gallery: "It reflects his interest in reuse, transformation and an intrinsic desire to connect to his native continent of Africa while transcending the limitations of place." Man's Cloth (1999–2002) by El Anatsui
In 2007 El Anatsui even wrapped Palazzo Fortuny with his work "Fresh and Fading Memories". It was his first cooperation with a building.
Fresh and Fading Memories (2007) by El Anatsui
In 2023, El Anatsui created a monumental new artwork for Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall. It is called Behind the Red Moon and it is made of of metal bottle tops and fragments. The artwork consists of three “acts” (as a play, correct): The Red Moon, The World, and The Wall.
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