The Ghana-born, Nigeria-based El Anatsui has achieved international acclaim for his distinctive two- and three-dimensional sculptures that repurpose ordinary bottle caps, all from alcoholic beverage containers, that he collects from junk depots. From these banal metal tops, ones implicated in a history of exchange with Europe dating back to the colonial period, Anatsui is able to extract visual effects of exquisite beauty, fashioning abstract designs that deftly choreograph color, shape, reflection, and opacity.
Anatsui received a BA from the College of Art, University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, in 1969, and since 1975 has taught at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
