Ghanaian artist El Anatsui emerged as the standout seller at Frieze New York 2026, one of the world’s leading contemporary art fairs. His sculpture LuwVor I, made from aluminum, copper, and wire, sold for $2.2 million, making it the highest-priced work at the event by a considerable margin. Another piece, MivEvi III, created from bottle caps and copper wire, fetched $1.9 million. The 82-year-old El Anatsui is widely regarded as one of Africa’s foremost artists. His signature use of discarded bottle caps carries deep historical resonance—the caps originate from liquor that European colonizers traded for enslaved Africans. El Anatsui’s dominant performance at the fair underscores the growing global market recognition for African contemporary art and the enduring relevance of his work, which he has described as “creating joy out of gloom.”
Semafor
