Panel c. 20th century

This panel was made by the Kuba people, and is now in the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Look at this maze of patterns, a real testament to the art of making. The texture of this piece is so interesting. It looks like it was created with a stamp, maybe carved from wood, like a printmaking process? I bet it feels great to touch. Think of each mark, each line, not just as part of a pattern but as a decision, a moment in time. There's a dark rhombus right in the middle that draws my eye: it looks like a dark heart. The colour palette is simple, but it’s the variation within that simplicity that makes it sing. This panel reminds me a little bit of the work of Sophie Taeuber-Arp. Both artists revel in the beauty of geometric abstraction and the power of repetitive forms. But where Taeuber-Arp's work is often precise and refined, this Kuba panel feels more earthy, more handmade. It’s a reminder that art is not just about the final product, but also about the process, the journey, and the conversations that happen along the way.