Staff with female head c. 20th century

This Yoruba staff with a female head at the Minneapolis Institute of Art is really something else. Look how the artist uses repetition to create rhythm, particularly in the tiered hairstyle above the face. It’s like a visual mantra, leading you back to the face, then back up again. Now, think about the feel of it – the cool, smooth metal, the weight in your hand. The patina suggests age, a history of touch and use. And those faces, each with slightly different expressions, how were they made? Carved, maybe cast? The precision is amazing. And the way they’re linked by a chain, it suggests connection, a relationship. Thinking about process, it makes me think of Eva Hesse, another artist who embraces process. The way the staff invites touch reminds me of Hesse’s latex sculptures. They both show the beauty in physical forms, and remind us art is an ongoing conversation.