El Anatsu began his artistic career as a young artist in Ghana, where he built sculpture primarily from wood. He has continued to use wood throughout his practice, particularly during his early years as lecturer of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. As his art grew, so too did the range of his materials. Over three decades he has incorporated found metal and other media, infusing the work with references to personal, cultural, and global histories. At the Venice Biennale in 2007 El Anatsui stunned the world with two monumental sculptures made from thousands of liquor-bottle tops stretched between columns.

This career retrospective includes a selection of the artist's most important objects, including ceramic, wood, and metal pieces as well as rare paintings, prints, and drawings that complement hissculpture. This is the most comprehensive examination of Anatsui's work to date.