Nigeria’s El Anatsui to exhibit in Toronto

“The exhibition which begins its North American tour at the Institute for Contemporary Culture at the Royal Ontario Museum will in early 2011, move to the MfAA, where it will be one of the inaugural exhibitions in the Museum’s new building. The exhibition encompasses work in wood, ceramic, and metal, as well as drawings and […]

“The exhibition which begins its North American tour at the Institute for Contemporary Culture at the Royal Ontario Museum will in early 2011, move to the MfAA, where it will be one of the inaugural exhibitions in the Museum’s new building. The exhibition encompasses work in wood, ceramic, and metal, as well as drawings and paintings.”
Ghanaian-born Anatsui, reputable for his originality and peculiar sculptural pieces made from garbage and waste materials has made an indelible mark on his generation and that, after his.
Describing the trend of Anatsui’s art, the MfAA informed that, “Throughout his career, Anatsui has transformed often-overlooked materials such as recycled metal and discarded wood into forceful visual statements that refer to global, local, and personal histories. When I Last Wrote to You About Africa brings together the full range of the artist’s work, from wood trays referring to traditional symbols of the Akan people of Ghana; to early ceramics from the artist’s Broken Pots series, driftwood assemblages that refer to the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and wooden sculptures carved with a chainsaw; to the luminous metal wall-hangings of recent years, which have brought the artist international acclaim.
“The colors and patterns in El Anatsui’s gestural acrylic paintings and ink drawings, made at various points during his career and shown here outside of Nigeria for the first time, resonate with his work in other materials including clay, wood, and metal.  These vibrant and beautiful works subtly pin together the retrospective, referencing Anatsui’s larger themes and revealing much about the artist’s process for over thirty years.
In his most recent metal wall sculptures, Anatsui assembles thousands of Nigerian liquor-bottle tops into moving patterns of stunning visual impact, transforming this simple material into large shimmering forms. When I Last Wrote to You About Africa includes the largest number of Anatsui’s works in metal ever assembled: massive wall pieces, large-scale floor installations, and a major new work created specifically for the retrospective.”
Teaching at the University of Nigeria Nsukka since 1975 the artist said, “These works date as far back as 1969 and I am hoping that people will view them and make meaning out of them. It’s like I am putting myself on the line for other people to view and assess which is what they will actually be doing. They will be assessing my career and decide if I had been playing all along or made something of it. It is something I look forward to and preparations are already in full swing.”