El Anatsui
Encyclopedia
El Anatsui is a Ghana
ian sculptor active for much of his career in Nigeria
.
Anatsui was born in Anyako, and trained at the College of Art, University of Science and Technology, in Kumasi
, in central Ghana. He began teaching at the University of Nigeria
, Nsukka
, in 1975, and has become affiliated with the Nsukka group
.
Anatsui's preferred media are clay
and wood
, which he uses to create objects based on traditional Ghanaian beliefs and other subjects. He has cut wood with chainsaw
s and blackened it with acetylene
torches; more recently, he has turned to installation art
. Some of his works resemble woven cloths such as kente cloth. Anatsui also incorporates uli
and nsibidi
into his works alongside Ghanaian motifs.
El Anatsui has exhibited his work around the world, including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
, New York (2008–09); National Museum of African Art
, Washington, D.C. (2008); Venice Biennale
(2007); Hayward Gallery
(2005); Liverpool Biennial
(2002); the National Museum of African Art (2001); the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona
(2001); the 8th Osaka Sculpture Triennale (1995); and the Venice Biennale (1990).
A retrospective of his work, subtitled When I Last Wrote to You About Africa opened at the Royal Ontario Museum
in Toronto
, Canada
, in October 2010. It will be touring North America for the next 3 years.
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian sculptor active for much of his career in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
.
Anatsui was born in Anyako, and trained at the College of Art, University of Science and Technology, in Kumasi
Kumasi
Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...
, in central Ghana. He began teaching at the University of Nigeria
University of Nigeria
The University of Nigeria, commonly referred to as UNN, is a federal university located in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. Founded in 1955 and formally opened on 7 October 1960, the University of Nigeria has four campuses – Nsukka, Enugu and Ituku-Ozalla – located in Enugu State and one in Aba, Abia...
, Nsukka
Nsukka
Nsukka is a town and Local Government Area in South-East Nigeria in Enugu State. Other towns that share common border with Nsukka, such as Enugu Ezike, Orba and Obollo-Afor , Ede-Oballa, Uzo Uwani and Mkpologwu, now also claim the name Nsukka, hence they all collectively fall into the political...
, in 1975, and has become affiliated with the Nsukka group
Nsukka group
The Nsukka group is the name given to a group of Nigerian artists who were associated with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in the 1970s. They are known, as a group, for working to revive the practice of uli and incorporate its designs into contemporary art using media such as acrylic paint,...
.
Anatsui's preferred media are clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
and wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, which he uses to create objects based on traditional Ghanaian beliefs and other subjects. He has cut wood with chainsaw
Chainsaw
A chainsaw is a portable mechanical saw, powered by electricity, compressed air, hydraulic power, or most commonly a two-stroke engine...
s and blackened it with acetylene
Acetylene
Acetylene is the chemical compound with the formula C2H2. It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block. It is unstable in pure form and thus is usually handled as a solution.As an alkyne, acetylene is unsaturated because...
torches; more recently, he has turned to installation art
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
. Some of his works resemble woven cloths such as kente cloth. Anatsui also incorporates uli
Uli (design)
Uli is the name given to the traditional designs drawn by the Igbo people of Nigeria. Uli drawings are strongly linear and do not have deep perspective; they do, however, balance positive and negative space. Designs are frequently asymmetrical, and are often painted spontaneously...
and nsibidi
Nsibidi
Nsibidi is a system of symbols indigenous to what is now southeastern Nigeria that is apparently ideographic, though there have been suggestions that it includes logographic elements...
into his works alongside Ghanaian motifs.
El Anatsui has exhibited his work around the world, including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
, New York (2008–09); National Museum of African Art
National Museum of African Art
The National Museum of African Art is a museum that is part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.. Located on the National Mall, the museum specializes in African art and culture...
, Washington, D.C. (2008); Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
(2007); Hayward Gallery
Hayward Gallery
The Hayward Gallery is an art gallery within the Southbank Centre, part of an area of major arts venues on the South Bank of the River Thames, in central London, England. It is sited adjacent to the other Southbank Centre buildings and also the Royal National Theatre and British Film Institute...
(2005); Liverpool Biennial
Liverpool Biennial
Liverpool Biennial is a British international festival of contemporary art held in Liverpool. The festival comprises the International Exhibition, the John Moores Painting Prize, the Bloomberg New Contemporaries Exhibition and the Independents Biennial....
(2002); the National Museum of African Art (2001); the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona
Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona
The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona is one of the most visited exhibition and arts centres in the city of Barcelona.Situated in the Raval district, the Centre’s core theme is the city and urban culture...
(2001); the 8th Osaka Sculpture Triennale (1995); and the Venice Biennale (1990).
A retrospective of his work, subtitled When I Last Wrote to You About Africa opened at the Royal Ontario Museum
Royal Ontario Museum
The Royal Ontario Museum is a museum of world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With its main entrance facing Bloor Street in Downtown Toronto, the museum is situated north of Queen's Park and east of Philosopher's Walk in the University of Toronto...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, in October 2010. It will be touring North America for the next 3 years.
External links
- El Anatsui's artist web page at the October Gallery, London
- QuickTime Virtual Reality Image of 'Akuas Surviving Children' at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London by Jonathan Greet
- El Anatsui: Gli Rice University Art Gallery, Houston, Texas, 2010
- El Anatsui lets chance, collaboration into his work by Doug Britt, Houston Chronicle
- El Anatsui at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute,Williamstown, Massachusetts, June 12, 2011 - October 16, 2011