Skirt (Aksu) 1960 - 1970

This Skirt, or Aksu, at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, is a textile made anonymously, and that’s a beautiful mystery in itself. I look at this object, and I think about all the labor and love that’s gone into it. The weaver would’ve been so intimate with their materials, feeling the wool or cotton in their hands, choosing colours and patterns that speak to them, to their community. The skirt comes into being through the repetition of simple gestures, the passing of weft over warp, slowly building up a surface rich with texture and detail. I’m drawn to that vertical band of red, densely patterned with tiny black motifs. It’s like the artist is speaking a language I can’t quite decipher, but I feel the rhythm and intention behind each mark. They're in conversation with the history of textiles, with patterns and designs passed down through generations, each artist adding their own unique voice to the chorus.