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Catalog Data

Maker:
El Anatsui, born 1944, Ghana (active in Nigeria)  Search this
Medium:
Wood, tempera
Dimensions:
H x W x D: 102 x 272 x 9 cm (40 3/16 x 107 1/16 x 3 9/16 in.)
Type:
Sculpture
Geography:
Ghana
Nigeria
Date:
1995
Label Text:
Ancestors, powerful and important spiritual figures in Africa, gather again to express their concern with the country's troubles. Anatsui regards the use of different colored woods as a metaphor for the unity of diverse peoples. He notes, "I look at textures of my work in process and I think about the texture and grain of Africa's history; I look at the authentic colors of the different types of wood and they remind me of the real colors of history . . ."
Exhibition History:
Heroes: Principles of African Greatness, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 16, 2019–October 3, 2021
African Art and The Shape of Time, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, August 18, 2012-February 3, 2013
Body of Evidence-Rotation 1, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., June 14-October 15, 2006
African Art, African Voices: Long Steps Never Broke a Back, Philadelphia Museum of Art, October 2, 2004-January 2, 2005; Cincinnati Art Museum, October 8, 2005-January 1, 2006
Encounters with the Contemporary, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., January 7, 2001-January 6, 2002
Poetics of Line: Seven Artists of the Nsukka Group, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 22, 1997-April 26, 1998
Published References:
Anatsui, E. 1995. El Anatsui. London: The October Gallery, front cover.
Anatsui, El and Laura Leffler James. 2008. Convergence: History, Materials, and the Human Hand--An Interview with El Anatsui. Art Journal 67 (2), p. 41 .
Meier, Prita and Raymond Silverman. 2012. African Art and the Shape of Time. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Museum of Art Books, pp. 62-63, no. 16.
Ottenberg, Simon. 1997. New Traditions from Nigeria: Seven Artists of the Nsukka Group. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, p. 136-137, no. 55, 170, no. 120.
Content Statement:
As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
Image Requests:
High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
Credit Line:
Purchased with funds provided by the Annie Laurie Aitken Endowment
Object number:
98-11-1
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
Copyright:
© 1995 El Anatsui
See more items in:
National Museum of African Art Collection
Data Source:
National Museum of African Art
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys736bc64c7-aa0a-4cd2-9314-8829c262b782
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmafa_98-11-1