Founding father

n September 1986, El Anatsui walked into his freshman design class, asked his students to draw egusi soup, then walked out. He left no further instruction. The students, in their first semester at University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), debated for hours what exactly their lecturer wanted. How do you paint egusi, recreate its yellow paste of crushed melon seeds on canvas? Do you include hints of cow tripe that go into it? Some Nigerians prefer theirs with crayfish. How do you account for that? Some students decided Anatsui was looking for an idea or concept. Others gravitated towards form and saw it as a test by the artist of who could draw the best. Anatsui’s intentions were less complicated and echo his own artistic philosophy. He wanted his students to reflect on an