Art, Design & Fashion
Peerless
El Anatsui
born 1944
Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale
Peerless is level 1 of 5 in the Ghana Hall of Fame: changed the field itself. Tell the country's story without them and the story breaks. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
He made monumental sculpture out of discarded bottle tops and changed what contemporary sculpture could be, taking the Venice Biennale's highest honour in 2015.
El Anatsui works in flattened liquor-bottle caps stitched with copper wire into shimmering wall reliefs the size of buildings — an idiom no one had used before him and many have used since.
His work is held by the British Museum, the Centre Pompidou, the Smithsonian and the de Young. In 2015 the Venice Biennale awarded him the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, citing not only his own success but his influence on two generations of West African artists.
His work is held by the British Museum, the Centre Pompidou, the Smithsonian and the de Young. In 2015 the Venice Biennale awarded him the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, citing not only his own success but his influence on two generations of West African artists.
- Universes in Universe — El Anatsui, Golden Lion, 56th Venice Biennale 2015
- Artnet News — El Anatsui honored with Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement
- Foundation for Contemporary Art, Ghana — El Anatsui Golden Lion
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