El Anatsui

Dry Eden, 2024

Made from timbers salvaged from the Nsukka Market in Nigeria, where Anatsui had his principal studio until recently, the wooden reliefs are comprised of multiple narrow strips, arranged in a horizontal format, one next to each other, which can be reconfigured at will. On the surface, the panels are carved into different textures – lines, scratches and burns – as well as painted with various motifs. These varied tessellated forms evoke an abstract cartography, stretching across the surfaces. They are filled with the sense of play and experimentation that has coursed through the entirety of Anatsui’s career.