A Ghananian, El-Anatsui, who is a former professor of sculpture at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, has won the most prestigious award at the 56th Venice Biennale.

The Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement, one of the top accolades in the international art world will be presented to the artist on May 9 at the headquarters of the Biennale in Italy.

President of the Venice Biennale, Paola Baratta, says Anatsui is “perhaps the most significant African artist working on the continent today”.

“The Golden Lion Award acknowledges not just his recent successes internationally but also his artistic influence on two generations of artists working in West Africa.

“His selection is based on an acknowledgement of the sustained, crucial work he has done as an artist, mentor and teacher for the past 45 years”.

Professor Anatsui is renowned for many of his works amongst which are the internationally acclaimed monumental, chainmail-like, wall relief sculpture created largely from bottle caps and stitched together with copper thread.

He was recently inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and is one of the first Africans to become an honorary academician of Britian’s Royal Academy of Arts.