El Anatsui

**El Anatsui** (dem born am 4 February 1944) be Ghanaian sculptor active for much of ein career insyd Nigeria. Na he draw particular international attention for ein "bottle-top installations". Dese installations dey consist of thousands of aluminum pieces dem source from alcohol recycling stations wey dem sew togeda plus copper wire, wich then be transformed into metallic cloth-like wall sculptures. Such materials, while seemingly stiff den sturdy, be actually free den flexible, wich often dey help plus manipulation wen he dey install ein sculptures.

Na dem include Anatsui insyd de 2023 Time 100 list of de world ein most influential people.

## Early life den education

Na dem born El Anatsui insyd Anyako, insyd de Volta Region of Ghana. De youngest of ein poppie ein 32 kiddies, Anatsui lost ein mommie wey na ein uncle raise am. Na ein first experience plus art be thru he dey draw letters for a chalkboard top. Na ein lettering attempts draw de attention of ein school ein headie, wey na he encourage ein effort by he provide am plus more chalk. Secof of ein age at de time (just after kindergarten), he regard de letters more as images dan as letters--de forms interest am.

Anatsui receive ein B.A insyd 1968 from de College of Art and Built Environment (KNUST) insyd Kumasi, Ghana. He receive ein postgraduate diploma insyd Art Education de year wey dey follow, insyd 1969, from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), sanso dey Kumasi.

## Oda activities
Na dem select Anatsui make he be a member of de International Society for Education through Art (InSEA) world council insyd 1992 for ein work insyd education. Na Anatsui be a founding member den fellow of de Forum for African Arts insyd 2000. Dat year he sanso cam turn a member of de International Selection Committee give de Dakar Biennale insyd Senegal. Insyd 2001 na he be a fellow at de Civitella Ranieri Foundation insyd Italy.

## Recognition
### Awards
Insyd 2015, de Venice Biennale award Anatsui de Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. Insyd 2017, na dem award Anatsui de Praemium Imperiale, de first Ghanaian make he win dis international art prize.

Oda awards include:

* 1990 – Public Prize, 7th Annual Triennale der Kleinplastik
* 1995 – Kansai Telecasting Prize, 6th Osaka Sculpture Triennial
* 1998 – Bronze Prize, 9th Osaka Sculpture Triennial
* 2008 – Visionaries! Award, Museum of Arts and Design (MAD)
* 2009 – Prince Claus Award
* 2009 – Artist Honoree, 30th Anniversary Celebration, National Museum of African Art
* 2016 – Honorary doctorate, Harvard University
*2017 – Honorary doctorate, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
* 2023 – *Time 100*
* 2024 – Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts, Bard College
## References


## Read further

* (insyd French) "EL Anatsui, Tsiatsia", *[[:fr:Le Delarge|Le Delarge]]*, read online.
* "El Anatsui (born 1944), Sculptor", *Benezit Dictionary of Artists*, read online, .
* Anatsui, El and Laura Leffler James, "Convergence: History, Materials, and the Human Hand--An Interview with El Anatsui," *Art Journal*, Vol. 67, No. 2 (Summer, 2008), pp. 36-53, read online
* Binder, Lisa M., "Anatsui, El (born 1944), sculptor", *Grove Art Online*, read online, .
* Binder, Lisa M., "El Anatsui: Transformations," *African Arts* Vol. 41, No. 2 (Summer, 2008), pp. 24-37, read online
* Chilvers, Ian and John Glaves-Smith, "Anatsui, El (1944–)", *A Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Art*, read online, .
* Enwezor, Okwui and Chika Okeke-Agulu, *El Anatsui: The Reinvention of Sculpture*, Damiani, 2022 https://www.damianibooks.com/products/6208763 
* Gayer, J. (2008). El Anatsui : Gawu. Espace, (86), 39–40. id.erudit.org/iderudit/9058ac
* Jennifer, Anne Hart, "El Anatsui (1944)", *Dictionary of African Biography*, read online, .
* LaGamme, Alisa, "The Essential Art of African Textiles: Design without End," *African Arts* Vol. 42, No. 1 (Spring, 2009), pp. 88-99, read online
* Oguibe, Olu. "El Anatsui: Beyond Death and Nothingness", *African Arts,* Vol.31, No.1 (1988), pp.&nbsp;48–55+96, El Anatsui: Beyond Death and Nothingness
* Ottenberg, Simon, *New Traditions from Nigeria: Seven Artists of the Nsukka group*, Smithsonian Institution Press 1997, 
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## External links

* El-Anatsui.com
* "El Anatsui" at Praemium Imperiale.
* QuickTime Virtual Reality Image of "Akua's Surviving Children" at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, by Jonathan Greet
* Doug Britt, "El Anatsui lets chance, collaboration into his work" Archived 31 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine, *Houston Chronicle*, 25 January 2010.
* Inception Gallery Contemporary Art Archived 15 October 2013 at archive.today
* El Anatsui piece at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art
* "El Anatsui", Art21. (n.d.). Retrieved 8 December 2016.
* 'The Installation of El Anatsui's "Dusasa l" (The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art). Retrieved 17 January 2017.