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By University Communications
October 23, 2007

The University of Arizona Museum of Art will present the sculpture of El Anatsui, one of Africa’s foremost living artists, and one who has had enormous impact on a subsequent generation. “El Anatsui: GAWU,” on view at the UA Museum of Art from Nov. 1, 2007 to Jan. 20, 2008, features seven large-scale sculptures by the artist. El Anatsui was recently named by the British publication The Independent as one of the 50 greatest cultural figures shaping the African continent.

“El Anatsui: GAWU” is an Oriel Mostyn Gallery touring exhibition and was generously supported by the Arts Council of Wales. Additional funding was provided by Wales Arts International. El “Anatsui: GAWU,” the artist’s first solo exhibition in the United States, visits the UA Museum of Art after presentations at The Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College, The Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida, Gainesville, and The Fowler Museum at UCLA. The exhibition’s final presentation will take place at the Smithsonian’s National Museum for African Art in Washington, DC.

Having worked for many years in paint, wood, clay and metal, El Anatsui created the works featured in “GAWU” from large quantities of discarded everyday objects. Through found materials, his work draws simultaneously from traditional African idioms and from contemporary western art practices to comment on West African culture, history and society.

"GAWU” includes several cloths made from liquor bottle caps, tops from evaporated milk tins, pierced metal sheeting and old printing plates, among other materials. All of the materials carry the cultural, social and historical imprint of the society that uses, reuses and eventually discards them. Anatsui adds his deep awareness of the aesthetic traditions of his native Ghana and adopted Nigeria and of the culture and history of the African continent.

“’GA’ contains allusions to many things including metal, and ‘WU’ references a fashioned cloak,” Anatsui said. “The word encapsulates the medium, process and the format of the works, and I think it is appropriate for a show in which I am for the first time featuring works in all metal, sewn into extensive sheets.”

Born in 1944 in Ghana, El Anatsui lives and works in Nigeria and is professor of sculpture at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He has participated in more than 85 exhibitions worldwide, including, most recently, and to great international acclaim, the 52^nd Venice Biennale. He is also featured in the major traveling exhibition “Africa Remix.” His works are held in numerous collections, including the British Museum, the de Young Museum in San Francisco, the Smithsonian’s National Museum for African Art, the Setagaya Art Museum in Tokyo and the National Gallery of Contemporary Art in Nigeria.

Exhibition Programs and Events
Nov. 1, 2007
4 p.m., Visiting Artist Lecture, Holsclaw Hall
5 p.m.-6:30 pm, Opening Reception, UA Museum of Art

Nov. 14, 2007
4 pm, Lecture on contemporary African art by UA Professor of Art History, Mikelle Omari-Tunkara

Dec. 1, 2007

1 p.m.-4 p.m., Family Day at the UA Museum of Art, featuring the World Music Gang, Barbea Williams telling traditional African stories and hands-on art workshops

Jan. 16, 2008
4 p.m., “The Purpose and Meaning of African Beads” lecture, presented by the Bead Museum