It was an Exclusive Evening of Discourse, Dinner, and Music, with Prof. El Anatsui during his 80th birthday celebration. Family Patriarch, Global Icon, Sculptor Extraordinaire, son of Ghana and a Most Remarkable Human Being, Prof. El Anatsui has remained a formidable bridge between Nigeria and Ghana.
The event which held at the Kwame Nkrumah Museum Accra, Ghana featured an engaging panel titled, “Exploring Nigeria/Ghana Relations and What Unites More Than Divides Us As A People”. Having stood at this same crossroads, El Anatsui between these two counties for eight decades.
Following this, friends, colleagues and family from near and wide attended the invitation-only exclusive dinner and live music performance, that featured mouth-watering dinner, presentations of gifts, and performances by various artists including Ghana’s female Jazz ensemble The Lipstik Queens, Tema Senior High School Choir and Anyako Cultural Troupe, and Afrobeat Sensation Dede Mabiaku & Kalafika Band.
The evening’s highlight was when the celebrant was conferred upon, the title of Torgbui Kekeli I of Anyako Woeto (‘beacon of light’), by the paramount chief Torgbui Tenge Dzokoto Gligui VII. This makes it Anatsui’s second traditional title since his 2017 conferment as the Ikedire of Nsukka ‘power which is effective’.
Other activities included a book unveiling titled “The World Celebrates El Anatsui @80” by a collective of esteemed academics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN); with guided tours to Ghana’s educational and tourism landmarks such as Elmina Castle, the Kwame Nkrumah Museum, University of Ghana, Legon and The Aburi Peduase Lodge.
El Anatsui is a contemporary artist from Ghana who singlehandedly redefined the meaning of sculptor and created a global art movement, from his over four-decade stay in Nsukka, Nigeria. His works have graced prestigious art spaces worldwide, like the Hyundai Commission at Tate Modern. Learn more about a most remarkable human being from his upcoming biographical documentary DELA: The Making of El Anatsui.
Photo/Video credit: Africa-Related for elanatsui.art
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