El Anatsui (b. 1944, Anyako, Ghana) is one of the most acclaimed contemporary artists of our time, celebrated for his monumental, shape-shifting sculptures made from repurposed materials. Living and working between Nsukka, Nigeria, and Tema, Ghana, Anatsui has spent decades developing a distinct visual language that merges personal history, pan-African identity, and global abstraction.

Anatsui is best known for his dazzling, large-scale wall hangings constructed from thousands of discarded liquor bottle caps, flattened, folded, and linked together with copper wire. These intricate assemblages, which shimmer with light and movement, defy traditional definitions of sculpture and painting. With each installation, the works are reconfigured, taking on new shapes and meanings—challenging notions of permanence and authorship in the sculptural form.

His materials—often sourced from local recycling stations—reflect his deep interest in transformation, reuse, and the socio-political histories embedded in everyday objects. Themes of consumption, waste, and the legacy of colonialism surface subtly in his work, which never loses sight of beauty, tactility, and formal innovation.

Anatsui's practice fuses indigenous aesthetic traditions with global artistic movements, creating works that are both deeply rooted and expansively resonant. His studio practice is a collaborative force, producing some of the most visually and emotionally arresting works in contemporary art today.