Underscoring just how good the North Carolina Museum of Art really is is a pair of powerful and playful exhibits this summer. First, the powerful part.
El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote to You about Africa chronicles the passionate, prolific career of El Anatsui. It encompasses his early Ghanaian woodwork, as well as more recent wall sculptures executed in Nigeria. If you’re an aficionado of this modern artist’s transformative textures, of his deftly defining touches, this is a must-see exhibition.
The breadth of this guy’s talents is nothing short of amazing. He’s created ceramics, wall sculptures, monumental floor installations, paintings, drawings, wooden and wall floor works and a series of other wondrous works. The North Carolina Museum of Art and El Anatsui go back a bit, the museum having commissioned the dazzling Lines That Link Humanity wall sculpture that was created for the opening of the museum’s West Building back in 2008.
This far-ranging representation of El Anatsui’s work will be on display through July 29.
Now for the playful. Kids and parents alike crave the work of beloved children’s book author Ashley Bryan. Through Aug. 19 the exhibition Rhythms of the Heart: The Illustration of Ashley Bryan is on display at the North Carolina Museum of Art. In contrast to the El Anatsui exhibition, this one is free.
It’s precisely the bold, brilliant colors of his illustrations that make Bryan so popular. His singular style melds music, dance and storytelling traditions. This particular exhibit includes the root work of his craft: preliminary pencil renderings, watercolor sketches and woodblock prints.
If you’re in search of the yin and the yang of African and African-American art, make it a point to visit Raleigh’s premier museum this summertime. Discover the power of El Anatsui’s contemporary work juxtaposed against the playful presentations of Ashley Bryan.
(Image: messyurbanist)
