The Ghanaian-born sculptor El Anatsui is one of the most significant artistic innovators of our time, merging personal, local, and global concerns in his visual creations. By weaving together discarded aluminum tops from Nigerian liquor bottles, Anatsui creates large-scale sculptures that demonstrate a fascinating interplay of color, shape, and fluidity.

Published to accompany an exhibition at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, this catalogue features an intimate look at several of the artist’s recent works, including Strips of Earth’s Skin (2008), Intermittent Signals (2009), and Delta (2010). Scholar and curator Alisa LaGamma provides a brief illustrated history of El Anatsui’s career and an analysis of his practice. The noted artist, curator, and professor Chika Okeke-Agulu engages his former teacher in a lively discussion of the themes of history, economy, sustainability, and identity explored within the artist’s work. Dramatic photographs of the installations at the Clark provide a unique look at these immersive sculptures.