b. 4 February 1944, Anyako, Volta Region, Ghana Lives and works in Nsukka, Nigeria, and Tema, Ghana El Anatsui is a Ghanaian sculptor whose transformative work with recycled materials has earned him an iconic place in contemporary African art. Trained at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi (BA, 1968; Postgraduate Diploma in Art Education, 1969), he converted everyday objects like liquor bottle caps, cassava graters, and printing plates into expansive, shimmering installations that resemble fabric yet defy traditional definitions of sculpture. His use of these materials reflects his interest in reuse, transformation, and an intrinsic desire to connect to his continent while transcending the limitations of place. His work can interrogate the history of colonialism and draw connections between consumption, waste, and the environment, but at the core is his unique formal language that distinguishes his practice. Since 1975, he has taught at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he helped shape the Nsukka Group’s revival of uli and Nsibidi motifs, integrating indigenous graphic traditions into modern abstraction. Anatsui is well-known for large scale sculptures composed of thousands of folded and crumpled pieces of aluminium bottle caps sourced from local alcohol recycling stations and bound together with copper wire. These intricate works, which can grow to be massive in scale, are luminous and weighty, meticulously fabricated yet malleable. He leaves the installations open and encourages the works to take new forms every time they are installed. His career includes landmark exhibitions and honors: major retrospectives like Gravity & Grace in New York, the Triumphant Scale survey that toured internationally, and large-scale commissions including the Hyundai Commission at Tate Modern. Awards include the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale and the prestigious Praemium Imperiale, among others. In 2023, he was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, reflecting his enduring influence as a visionary artist and educator.