Anatsui uses rigid materials to create seemingly soft and pliable cloth-like structures, combining liquor bottle tops and metal foil taken from bottlenecks woven together with copper wire to make large sculptural works. In his work he is always looking to his environment, both natural and manmade, as a source of inspiration and materials. He composes his sculptures with meticulous orchestration, managing material and color like a painter. This transformation of discarded materials into works resembling tapestries fit for royalty, illustrates a transgressive element in Anatsui’s artistic practice. The works are full of references to cultural traditions such as weaving, Ghanaian kente cloth and adinkra. Anatsui’s sculptures also conjure up practical and environmental issues such as process, logistics, distribution, consumption, waste and recycling.
El Anatsui exhibited at the 1990 Venice Biennale, where he received an honorable mention and was included in the Johannesburg Biennale in 1995 as well as the Gwanju Bienniale, South Korea, 2004. His most recent solo exhibition Gawu has toured Europe, Asia and North America. His work is included in numerous public and private collections.
El Anatsui born 1944, Anyako, Ghana
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