UNN Professor wins prestigious Prince Claus Fund laureate for 2009

Professor El Anatsui of our Department of Fine and Applied Arts has emerged one of the recipients of the prestigious Price Claus Fund Laureate for 2009.  The Prince Claus Award, which was inaugurated in 1996 in honour of Prince Claus of The Netherland, is announced annually to honour individuals and organizations located in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, whose works reflect a progressive and contemporary approach to the themes of culture and development.

The Fund Laureate award, which attracts a cash price 25,000 Euros, was made in recognition of ‘the outstanding aesthetic and intellectual qualities of his creations; for his innovative use of materials to highlight the dialogue between culture and nature, and for his dedicated and inspirational role in the development of the visual arts in Africa’.
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The award organisers described El Anatsui as a ‘highly original sculptor’ and ‘a beacon in contemporary African art’.  The latest award is a deserved addition to Professor Anatsui’s rich collection of prizes and confirms his status as a world leader in his field.

The award organizers captured Professor Anatsui’s stature aptly in his profile posted on the Prince Claus Fund website: www.princeclausfund.org/en ,when they wrote, ‘Anatsui is a staunch defender of artistic freedom and promoter of art’s role in local development. A generous mentor and an inspiring teacher, his lifelong dedication to intellectual exploration of political and environmental issues has influenced local social and cultural development not only through his artwork but also through his influence on generations of young artists’.