Published: 20 Oct 2016 Source: University Relations Office (URO)
A renowned Ghanaian sculptor paid a visit to his alma mater, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on 19th October, 2016. He met the Vice Chancellor, the Pro-Vice Chancellor, the Acting Registrar, Senior Assistant Registrar and some lecturers of the Faculty of Art.
Professor El Anatsui stated that he was in the country for an art exhibition and could not afford to miss the opportunity to visit his old school. He expressed his excitement at being back home since he had been away for a long time. He indicated that the Faculty of Art needed a lot of encouragement and that more effort should be put into improving it.
Professor Kwasi Obiri-Danso, the Vice Chancellor, expressed his utmost gratitude for the warm visit. He appealed to Prof. Anatsui to organise seminars and workshops in the school occasionally to encourage the young ones. He also assured Prof. Anatsui that the school was ready to host his seminar at any time.
Prof. Anatsui presented a portfolio of his art works to the Vice Chancellor and in response the VC presented a plaque of the university to him in appreciation of his great works and for being a good ambassador of the university.
In the past year Prof. Anatsui sponsored five lecturers from the Faculty of Art to Nigeria for an Art conference.
Prof. El Anatsui has drawn international attention and recognition for his iconic “bottle-top installations”- created from thousands of aluminium bottle-tops wired together with copper. He has exhibited his works all around the globe in museums such as the British Museum, London, the Centre Pompidou, Paris and many other prestigious institutions. His hard work earned him the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 2015, a prize that acknowledges not just his recent successes internationally but also his artistic influence among two generations of artists working in West Africa.