Chagsi pangkheb c. 20th century

This exquisite Chagsi pangkheb at the Minneapolis Institute of Art is a textile made with tremendous dedication, patience, and care. The artist, unfortunately anonymous, worked in vertical bands, carefully constructing this geometric dance using pale reds and blues. Looking closely, I imagine someone deeply immersed in the act of creation, almost meditative. Each motif, each subtle shift in color, builds from the last. What was the artist thinking about as they worked? The linear elements remind me of Agnes Martin's grids, and the all-over composition reminds me of a painting by Yayoi Kusama, except this one predates both of them! The texture isn't paint, it's woven, so the hand-feel would be very different. If you touched it, you could feel all the little knots and bumps. With each of those, another prayer, another thought. In this case, the gesture isn't in the brushstroke but in the labor of the hand. It's a reminder that we're all having a conversation across time, and we all influence one another even when we don’t know it.