El Anatsui

Ghanaian painter and sculptor · Nigeria · On the map · Artists · Born 1944 · age 82

El Anatsui is a Ghanaian sculptor active for much of his career in Nigeria. He has drawn particular international attention for his "bottle-top installations".

El Anatsui is read about 118 times a day, in 20 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 28 October 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 96 days, one point a day.

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A life in dates

2017Praemium ImperialeAward2016Honorary Doctor of Harvard UniversityAward2009Prince Claus AwardAward2007“I created this piece for the Sharjah Biennial in 2007, which had a theme related to the environment.”In their wordsInterview response to the question '“Earth’s Skin” is one of your most emblematic artworks. What is the concept behind it?'Read the whole statement

1999“I initially began working with these bottle caps because I wanted to make sculptures with fluid forms.”In their wordsInterview response to the question 'You have been working with bottle caps obtained from a local distillery since 1999. What is the deeperRead the whole statement

1944Born13 June 1944

Media & music

Photos 2

Man's Cloth (1998-2001) at the British Museum in 2009

Anatsui's Palazzo Fortuny Artempo exhibition in 2007

In their own words 3

El Anatsui

3 statements, newest first

Museums are essentially cultural institutions meant to educate people. So, the important thing is not the location of the museum, but the agenda of the museum.
Interview response to the question 'How do you feel about the Guggenheim and other prestigious museums coming to this region?', Own words
The first time I came to the UAE, I met two traders here who were from my little village in Ghana and were in Dubai to buy goods.
Interview response to the question 'And what do feel about your work being in the permanent collection of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi?', Own words
Art is a universal sensibility.
, Own words

Wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0

Awards

Praemium Imperiale2017

Honorary Doctor of Harvard University2016

Prince Claus Award2009

About this person

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.

Country

Nigeria