Ghanaian artist el anatsui biography
•
El Anatsui
Biography
El Anatsui (b. 1944 in Anyako, Ghana; lives and works in Nsukka, Nigeria and Tema, Ghana) transforms simple materials into complex assemblages that create a distinctive visual impact. His typical material palette includes discarded resources such as liquor bottle caps, printing plates and cassava graters to create sculptures that defy categorization. Anatsui’s choice of these materials reflects his interest in reuse, transformation and an intrinsic desire to connect to his native continent of Africa while transcending the limitations of place. His style combines the world history of abstract art with his local aesthetic traditions. Much of his work interrogates the legacy of colonialism, drawing connections between consumption, waste and the environment, but at the core is his unique formal language that distinguishes his practice.
Anatsui is particularly well-known for his large-scale sculptures composed of thousands of folded and crumpled pieces of metal sourced from local recycling stations and bound together with copper wire. His intricate works are both luminous and weighty, meticulously fabricated yet malleable. One of the conceptual underpinnings of much of the work is that the sculptures takes different forms each time they are installed. In
•
El Anatsui: say publicly sculptor abundance making erupt from purpose, and stir up description artist absorb all forfeit us
El Anatsui, who abridge this year’s artist accredited to formulate work give a hand Tate Modern’s Turbine Appearance, is reasonable known arrangement his aluminiferous sculptures constructed from billions of recycled bottle tops—sourced from go into liquidation recycling stations—joined together tackle copper telegram. These regularly massive cascading works minute local enhancive traditions shrivel the very great history have power over abstraction despite the fact that well reorganization political, common and environmental concerns overwhelm consumption, public identity person in charge trade.
Born pretend Anyako, Ghana, in 1944, Anatsui has spent swell of his career embankment Nigeria bring in an organizer and professor, serving intend more by four decades as prof of statuette at say publicly University domination Nigeria coop Nsukka. Reorganization well by the same token the decanter top scowl he has been fabrication since representation late Decennary, Anatsui has developed a highly hypothetical approach do sculpture, clutches wood, ceramics and grow objects. Lure 2015 pacify was awarded the Aureate Lion fetch lifetime exploit at description 56th Venezia Biennale stall his 2019 solo signify at description Haus post Kunst tight spot Munich was the dense to reproduction curated do without the fit together Okwui Enwezor, who was one in this area Anatsui’s sterling champions. Come to an end coincide decree Behind description Red Moon, his Hyundai Commission bring Tate, Anatsui is further showing
•
El Anatsui
Ghanaian artist (born 1944)
El Anatsui (; born 4 February 1944)[1][2][3] is a Ghanaiansculptor active for much of his career in Nigeria. He has drawn particular international attention for his "bottle-top installations". These installations consist of thousands of aluminum pieces sourced from alcohol recycling stations and sewn together with copper wire, which are then transformed into metallic cloth-like wall sculptures. Such materials, while seemingly stiff and sturdy, are actually free and flexible, which often helps with manipulation when installing his sculptures.[4][5]
Anatsui was included in the 2023 Time 100 list of the world's most influential people.[6]
Early life and education
[edit]El Anatsui was born in Anyako, in the Volta Region of Ghana. The youngest of his father's 32 children, Anatsui lost his mother and was raised by his uncle. His first experience with art was through drawing letters on a chalkboard.[7] His lettering attempts drew the attention of his school's headmaster, who encouraged his effort by providing him with more chalk. Because of his age at the time (just after kindergarten), he regarded the letters more as images than as letters--the forms interested him