Behja (Crown-Patterned) Panel 1987

This is a Crown-Patterned Panel or "Behja," by Abdelkader Ouarregli. It's a textile, so threads replace brushstrokes here. The colours are so vibrant - lots of blues with whites, purples, reds and greens. It feels so intuitive and handcrafted, you can tell artmaking is a process. Look closely at the surface, the texture! It invites you to touch, to feel the woven pattern. It is thick, and opaque, it is obvious what tools were used to make it. You can see that particular flower, almost glowing against the blue. It's like a little spark of energy, a focal point that draws your eye in. Thinking about other artists, it reminds me a little of the boldness and pattern work of someone like Henri Matisse, but with a completely different feel because of the medium. To me, art is like one big conversation, everyone adding their own little bit to the mix. There's no one right way to see things, and that's what makes it so interesting.