Ghanaian artist and sculptor El Anatsui uses humble found materials — mostly famously, bottle caps — to make monumental artworks. Currently living and working in Nigeria, Anatsui is known for defying categorization, with sculptures that have been described variously as resembling quilts, animal hides, chainmail, lace and mosaics. He also creates smaller-scale abstract prints with a similar look and energy.
Anatsui was born in 1944 and earned his bachelor’s degree from Ghana’s Kumasi College of Arts, Science and Technology in 1968. He followed it up with a postgraduate diploma in art education and took his first teaching post at the University of Education in Ghana in 1969. In the late 1970s, Anatsui began creating his own art, mainly in terra-cotta, inspired by traditional African forms.
In 1982, Anatsui became a lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he continued to teach until 2011. Over the 1980s, he branched out and experimented with materials like wood, giving him greater freedom of scale, pattern and color. Over time, he began to use smaller pieces of metal stitched-together copper wire to build grandiose sculptures, which became his signature look and technique. In addition to bottle caps, Anatsui is known for using printing plates, iron nails, railroad ties and tin cans.
Whatever material he chooses for any given piece, Anatsui ensures that it has a connection to Africa, often sourcing from local recycling stations. His work is an exploration of the environment, waste, colonialism, local traditions, consumption and the connections between all of these facets. In the process, he transforms discarded items into beautiful art installations.
In 2008, Anatsui was recognized for his contributions to art with a Lifetime Achievement award at the Venice Biennale. His work has been exhibited all over the world, including at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City, the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, the National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka and Rice Gallery in Houston. In 2022, Damiani Publishers released a 360-page book titled El Anatsui: The Reinvention of Sculpture, which chronicles his life and work.
On 1stDibs, find El Anatsui prints and other art.
Paper and Silver by El Anatsui hand-sculpted aluminium sculpture African Art
By El Anatsui
Located in Zug, CH
El Anatsui uses typically discarded resources such as liquor bottle caps, cassava graters and newspaper printing plates, to create both floor-based sculptures and shimmering wall pie...
Metal, Copper, Wire
Paper and Silver
By El Anatsui
Located in Toronto, Ontario
El Anatsui (b. 1944) is an acclaimed Ghanian sculptor working out of Nigeria. Known for his large-scale tapestry-like metallic sculptures created from discarded resources, Anatsui dr...
Copper, Wire
Variation I (B)
By El Anatsui
Located in Saint Louis, MO
El Anatsui Variation I (B), 2014 Pigment print with hand collage and copper wire 23 x 30.2 inches (58.4 x 76.8 cm) Edition of 16
Wire
H 48 in W 76 in D 0.1 in
Flora I - large format photograph of abstract floral and liquid cloud explosion
By Christian Stoll
Located in San Francisco, CA
large scale abstraction of floral water clouds in a liquid landscape FLORA I by Christian Stoll 48 x 76 inches (122 x 193cm) signed edition of 7 25 x 40 inches (64 x 102cm) signe...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée
H 25 in W 40 in
LA Parking - large scale photograph of midcentury urban architectural element
By Frank Schott
Located in San Francisco, CA
LA Parking by Frank Schott a burst of red in an urban landscape of striking minimalism, from a series of photographs capturing the mid century modern architecture and architectural e...
Photographic Paper, Archival Paper, Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
H 27 in W 40 in D 0.03 in
H2O lll - large format photograph of sun reflections on pool water surface
By Erik Pawassar
Located in San Francisco, CA
mesmerizing light reflections of glistening sunlight on turquoise aquamarine water surface, an homage to the iconic pool reflections paintings by artist David Hockney H2O lll by Eri...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
H 31 in Dm 88 in
Redwoods - large format nature observation panorama of green redwoods forest
By Erik Pawassar
Located in San Francisco, CA
a large scale photograph of lush emerald green nature biotope, a highly detailed observation of the natural beauty of the Northern California redwood forest Redwoods by Erik Pawassa...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Giclée, Archival Pigment
H 48 in W 72 in
Reef - large format abstract photograph of sun reflections on coral reefs
By Erik Pawassar
Located in San Francisco, CA
large format photograph of sun reflections on a coral reef water surface, mesmerizing light reflections of glistening sunlight on turquoise aquamarine water surface, an homage to the...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Giclée, Archival Pigment
H 48 in W 88 in
Close Up - large format photograph of conceptual billboard sign in landscape
By Frank Schott
Located in San Francisco, CA
large scale photograph of billboard sign with conceptual message in iconic landscape of the American West. A series of images capturing the unique infi...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Archival Ink, Giclée
H 60 in W 48 in
Flora Italiana ( Papavero Bianco ) - large scale botanical still life photograph
By Linda Rosewall
Located in San Francisco, CA
Original large format still life photograph from Linda Rosewall's botany study series "Flora Italiana", an intensely beautiful body of works exploring the botanical splendor of Italian flowers in the natural world with highly detailed captures. Flora Italiana ( Papavero Bianco ) delicate white poppy flower petals 64 x 48 inches (162 x 122cm) signed edition of 7 40 x 30 inches (102 x 76cm) signed edition of 25 archival fine art pigment print signed & numbered by artist on label custom/larger sizes are available on request ___________________ About the artist Linda Rosewall’s artistic path was cemented during her childhood. She was inspired by her farther, an accomplished musician and composer who raised his six children as a performing family act. The experience of traveling the United States and Canada in a small airplane piloted by her father provided the opportunity for Linda to capture these moments on her small Kodak Instamatic Camera. At the age of 18, she enrolled at Columbia College of Fine Arts Chicago. During her studies, Linda apprenticed under photographer Norman Bilisko and later worked with Dennis Manarchy...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Giclée, Archival Pigment
H 64 in W 48 in D 0.03 in
Flora Italiana ( Waratah Red ) - large format botanical still life photograph
By Linda Rosewall
Located in San Francisco, CA
Original large format still life photograph from Linda Rosewall's series "Flora Italiana", an intensely beautiful body of works exploring the botanical splendor of Italian flowers with highly detailed captures Flora Italiana ( Waratah Red ) 64 x 48 inches (162 x 122cm) signed edition of 7 40 x 30 inches (102 x 76cm) signed edition of 25 archival fine art pigment print signed & numbered by artist on label custom/larger sizes are available on request ___________________ About the artist Linda Rosewall’s artistic path was cemented during her childhood. She was inspired by her farther, an accomplished musician and composer who raised his six children as a performing family act. The experience of traveling the United States and Canada in a small airplane piloted by her father provided the opportunity for Linda to capture these moments on her small Kodak Instamatic Camera. At the age of 18, she enrolled at Columbia College of Fine Arts Chicago. During her studies, Linda apprenticed under photographer Norman Bilisko and later worked with Dennis Manarchy...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Giclée, Archival Pigment
H 48 in W 72 in
Topiary II - large format photograph of ornamental shaped sidewalk trees
By Frank Schott
Located in San Francisco, CA
large scale photogaph from a series of photographic observances capturing the antics of urban gardening and whimsical botanical art of topiaries' green minimalism TOPIARY II by Fran...
Archival Ink, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Archival Paper, Giclée
H 58 in W 58 in
Wave I - large format abstract liquidscape in azur and lapis blue color palette
By Christian Stoll
Located in San Francisco, CA
Wave I by Christian Stoll a mesmerizing photographic rendering of blue acquatic surface 58 x 58 inches (147 x 147cm) edition of 7 signed 48 x 48 inches (122 x 122cm) edition of 7 s...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
H 48 in W 72 in D 0.03 in
Cacti - large format photograph of iconic desert cactus landscape 48" x 72"
By Erik Pawassar
Located in San Francisco, CA
large scale photograph of sunny cactus landscape, from a series of highly detailed large format nature observations, an homage to the photo realistic ...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
H 48 in W 74 in D 0.03 in
Red Jet - iconic vintage private jet plane on desert airport tarmac (48 x 74")
By Frank Schott
Located in San Francisco, CA
large format photograph of glossy cherry red vintage private airplane on airport runway tarmac Red Jet by Frank Schott 48 x 74 inches (122 x 188cm...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Archival Ink, Giclée
H 21.5 in W 28 in
Black and Silver
By El Anatsui
Located in Toronto, Ontario
El Anatsui (b. 1944) is an acclaimed Ghanian sculptor working out of Nigeria. Known for his large-scale tapestry-like metallic sculptures created from discarded resources, Anatsui dr...
Copper, Wire
H 64.18 in W 61.03 in D 1.97 in
Checked Key by El Anatsui, Limited Edition, Wall Sculpture, Metal, Contemporary
By El Anatsui
Located in Zug, CH
El Anatsui Checked Key 2022 Hand sculpted and formed UV cured acrylic resin inkjet on aluminum with irregular hand-cut edges and copper wire 163 × 155 × 5 cm (64.2 × 61 × 2 in) Signe...
Metal, Copper, Wire
H 64.18 in W 61.03 in D 1.97 in
Checked Key by El Anatsui, Limited Edition, Wall Sculpture, Metal, Contemporary
By El Anatsui
Located in Zug, CH
El Anatsui Checked Key 2022 Hand sculpted and formed UV cured acrylic resin inkjet on aluminum with irregular hand-cut edges and copper wire 163 × 155 × 5 cm (64.2 × 61 × 2 in) Signe...
Metal, Copper, Wire
H 35.75 in W 23.5 in D 0.5 in
Striped Flags
By El Anatsui
Located in New York, NY
This work is offered by CLAMP in New York City.
Metal