art basel 2008: el anatsui

strips of earths skin

drawing on african history and cultural idioms, as well as western art practices, el anatsui uses rigid materials to create seemingly soft and pliable cloth-like structures, combining liquor-bottle tops and metal foil from bottlenecks woven together with copper wire. an astute observer of color, he composes his sculptures with meticulous orchestration, managing material and color like a painter. the work refers to cultural traditions like weaving, ghanaian kente cloth, and adinkra.

artwork curated by jack shainman gallery, new york, usa