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.

El Anatsui’s monumental wooden relief 'Fractured World Order', constructed in 2022 from reclaimed timber sourced near the artist’s studio in Nsukka, marks a decisive return to a foundational medium within the artist’s transformative practice.

While internationally celebrated for his metal hangings, presented to widespread acclaim at the 2007 Venice Biennale, wood was central to Anatsui’s formative experimental practice during the 1980s and 90s.

Constructed from salvaged timber sourced from the Nsukka Market near his former studio in Nigeria, this relief work is composed of narrow wooden slats arranged in a modular horizontal structure that can be continually reconfigured.

Featured in the TIME 100 Most Influential People list in 2023, Anatsui is one of the most prominent and commercially successful African artists in history.

Current/forthcoming exhibitions: 'Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Pan Africa', Barbican Centre, London (until 6 September 2026); Goodman Gallery x Pierre Yovanovitch Mobilier, Pierre Yovanovitch Mobilier Gallery, Paris (until 28 August 2026)