As University Of Nigeria Honours Ghana Prof
UNN Honours El Anatsui with Landmark Book, Celebrates the Global Artist’s 80th Birthday, Homecoming
By
Chuka Nnabuife
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), will roll out the drums on Wednesday, 1 July, for Emeritus Professor El Anatsui, the Ghanaian-born artist widely regarded as Africa’s most celebrated contemporary visual artist.
Although Anatsui turned 80 two years ago, commemorative events marking the milestone have continued around the world. This year’s celebration returns to the institution that has served as his academic and artistic home for nearly five decades.
In collaboration with the University Senior Staff Club, UNN will unveil a landmark book titled El Anatsui: The Man, the Myth, the Legend at 80 and Counting, edited by Greg Mbajiorgu and Chikaogwu Kanu.
The 411-page volume chronicles Anatsui’s achievements as a teacher, researcher, creator and mentor whose influence has shaped generations of artists. It also captures his life as an active member of the university community and a respected global citizen.
Born in Ghana in 1944, Anatsui has lived, taught and carried out artistic research at UNN for 47 years. His studio in Nsukka, Enugu State, produced many of the masterpieces that established him as one of the world’s foremost contemporary artists.
The book unveiling ceremony will commence at 11 a.m. at the Princess Alexandra Auditorium, UNN.
According to the organisers, the publication features contributions from more than 100 scholars, artists, intellectuals and cultural practitioners from Nigeria and abroad. Associate Professor Greg Mbajiorgu described the project as a significant contribution to the documentation of African art and intellectual history.
The organisers noted that the publication goes beyond celebrating an individual. It documents the intellectual history of the University of Nigeria, traces the evolution of the renowned Nsukka School of Art and highlights Africa’s growing contributions to global artistic discourse.
Professor Chris Uchenna Agbedo will review the book, while the Vice-Chancellor of UNN, Professor Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, will serve as Chief Host. President of the University Senior Staff Club, Professor Chukwudi Nnamchi, will host the event, with Professor Lazarus Ogenyi serving as Co-Host.
The Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, CFR, will chair the occasion.
Renowned for transforming discarded materials into monumental sculptures and tapestry-like installations, Anatsui has earned worldwide acclaim for works that interrogate history, memory, consumerism, colonialism and African identity.
Among his celebrated creations are Woman’s Cloth (2001), Man’s Cloth (2002), Dusasa (2007), TSIATSIA – Searching for Connection (2013) and Behind the Red Moon (2023). His works have featured at the Venice Biennale and in major exhibitions at Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum and Haus der Kunst.
Joining the University of Nigeria in the 1970s, Anatsui rose through the ranks to become Professor and Head of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts. Through decades of teaching and mentorship, he became one of the leading figures of the celebrated Nsukka School, also known as the Uli Art School.
Before relocating to Nigeria, he taught at the Specialist Training College, Winneba, Ghana, now the University of Education, Winneba.
Anatsui was also a founding member of the Aka Circle of Exhibiting Artists, alongside Professor Obiora Udechukwu. Established in Enugu in the mid-1980s, the Aka Group, comprising over a dozen artists, helped redefine Nigeria’s contemporary art scene through innovative and critically acclaimed regular art exhibitions.
Among dignitaries expected at the UNN event are Rt Hon. Chidi Obeta, Justice Prof. Peter Umeadi, Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Dr Obi Asika, Dr Mrs Virgy Anohu and Igwe George Asadu, among others.
Nnabuife, FNGE, FSNA, journalist and author, writes from Awka, Anambra State via [email protected]
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