El Anatsui

El Anatsui

"Throughout a distinguished forty-year career as both sculptor and teacher – as Professor of Sculpture and Departmental Head at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka – El Anatsui has addressed a vast range of social, political and historical concerns, and embraced an equally diverse range of media and processes. Making use of tools as diverse as chainsaws, welding torches and power tools as well as developing a range of processes such as the intricate and meditative 'sewing' process of his later work, he has shaped found materials that range from cassava graters, railway sleepers, driftwood, iron nails and obituary printing plates, aluminium bottle-tops, etc. to create a wide variety of novel sculptural forms. El Anatsui's iconic “bottle-top installations” have provoked a frenzy of international attention between 2002 and the present, with institutions queuing to acquire these mesmerising works. Created from many thousands of aluminium bottle-tops wired together with copper, these magnificent wall sculptures continue to excite and amaze audiences wherever they are exhibited. His sculptures have been collected by major international museums, including the British Museum, London, the Centre Pompidou, Paris, the de Young Museum, San Francisco, the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, the museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf, and many other prestigious institutions besides.

In an interview with October Gallery, EL Anatsui noted, “The amazing thing about working with these metallic ‘fabrics’ is that the poverty of the materials used in no way precludes the telling of rich and wonderful stories." (from http://www.octobergallery.co.uk/artists/anatsui/ )

I am interested in this artist as in year twelve I created a mixed media installation using similar materials which evoked messages of poverty and third world countries in attempting to recreate or show an aspect of my South African history. 

I've always been interested in textiles and the intricacy of the handmade, so I find that this artist's work very appealing.

During year twelve, and even in the years since then I have always been drawn to the concept of making the everyday, and the ignored into something distinguished or beautiful. Taking what has been discarded and turning it into something beautiful is something which I feel my work aesthetic will often come back to.