Standing Female Figure c. 20th century

This standing female figure by an unknown Lobi artist resides at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. You can really see the mark of the hand, can't you? I imagine this artist finding a suitable piece of wood, maybe something discarded or reclaimed. There’s a rawness to the carving, a directness that feels so connected to the material itself. The surface is rough and uneven, but the form is so elegant and poised. I wonder what the artist was thinking as they carved away at the wood? Were they working from a sketch, or letting the figure emerge from the wood itself? There's something really profound about how artists can channel their experiences, emotions, and ideas into physical forms. That exchange between artists continues through time. Each work inspires someone else to pick up a tool and begin their own process of discovery. It's a never-ending conversation.