Gawu

From Ghana but living in Nigeria since 1975, El Anatsui is one of Africa’s most powerful contemporary artists. His work dwells on the continent’s history, drawing simultaneously on traditional African idioms and contemporary western art. Having worked over the years in paint, wood, clay and metal, his recent works use large quantities of discarded everyday objects to comment on contemporary west African culture, history and society. Two large ‘cloaks’ made from thousands of flattened liquor bottle tops were recently bought by the British Museum for their contemporary African collection. The exhibition will include three new cloaks and other work not previously exhibited, and is the artist’s first in a major UK gallery.