El Anatsui
(Ghanaian, born 1944)
Transit, 2002
15 pieces, each: 4 x 24 in (10.2 x 61 cm); total: 60 x 24 in (152.4 x 61 cm)
Purchased with funds from the Stanley-University of Iowa Foundation Support Organization, 2002.106a-o © El Anatsui
El Anatsui brings many of the formal properties of African craft to his work by acknowledging the decorative aspects of African textiles in his sculpture. In Transit, he uses 15 pieces of wood to build the relief sculpture. This is reminiscent of the strip weaving processes of Western Africa; like the kente cloth, El Anatsui’s works are made in strips. Being an homage to African textiles, he chose design elements and principles that are easily identified as relating to the visual aspects of the kente cloth of the Asante and Ewe peoples of Ghana. Born in Ghana, but currently living in Nigeria, El Anatsui has a family tradition of the weaving of ceremonial kente cloth, since his father and brothers were weavers in Ewe society.
As a contemporary African artist and because he is not working in textile, fabric, or any kind of weaving process, El Anatsui does alter form and composition to create his work. By using power tools familiar to woodworkers instead of the hand-held tools of the past, he carves and constructs works of art out of wood—the traditional material used in African sculpture. Carved and painted patterns repeat to provide a unified composition. By refining and embellishing the surface, El Anatsui is able to give his work a more contemporary visual presence and reinforces the idea that the work is based on colorful weavings.
El Anatsui not only pays homage to African traditions in his choice of art forms, he also draws upon his surroundings when choosing his materials; he makes work from wood and colorants taken from his environment. Found objects have always been materials for use in the art in Africa, and contemporary Western artists have adopted appropriation of materials to give works a meaning and context. It is in design, materials, and methods of execution he uses that El Anatsui finds a contemporary voice. He said, "Art grows out of each particular situation and I believe that artists are better off working with whatever the environment throws up. I think that has been happening in Africa for a long time…"
This work can be seen on display at the UIMA@IMU, located in the Iowa Memorial Union's third-floor Richey Ballroom.
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