El AnatsuiRoutes to Discovery, 2021
El Anatsui’s wooden sculptures form a pivotal part of his practice and conceptual thinking. Working with indigenous hardwoods sourced in Ghana and Nigeria, he employs carving, burning, painting, and staining to transform the surface of the wood. These treatments created layered textures and rich tonal variations, revealing a deep sensitivity to material and form. Many of the works are modular in structure, composed of panels that can be rearranged, introducing a sense of mutability and open-endedness that would later become central to his practice.
These works are not simply static wall pieces but carry sculptural presence and conceptual depth. Their modularity, emphasis on surface, and engagement with repetition anticipate the formal strategies Anatsui would later amplify in his iconic bottle-cap installations. In both bodies of work, the interplay between fragment and whole, permanence and change, remains a defining concern.
Arranged in vertical fixed panels that are carved into rich patterns and textures, ‘Routes to Discovery’ reflects the artist’s early practice which incorporated cut wood and lumber often sourced from the Nsukka Market in Nigeria. In ‘Routes to Discovery’ Anatsui emphasises borders that mankind have placed to curtail the freedom of others. The straight and structured lines are interrupted by organic rings that offer a sense of reprieve.
