Female Figure 1900 - 1925

This 'Female Figure' was carved out of wood, by Yombe artists, sometime in the past. Just look at that surface! I can imagine the artist carefully carving out the shapes, giving form to their ideas, each cut revealing something new. The black paint on the wood accentuates the figure's strong lines, giving it such presence. Imagine being the sculptor, deciding how much to reveal and how much to conceal, inviting us to see the world in a new way. Are they thinking about the great mysteries of the world, or perhaps the everyday realities of life in the village? There's a dialogue happening between the artist, the material, and you, the viewer. It reminds me of folk art, and the way artists through time exchange ideas, riffing off one another, inspiring new expressions and stories. It’s like a visual conversation echoing through time. It's a reminder that art is never really finished but is always evolving.