Mat c. 20th century

This small mat was woven by a Tutsi artist, and it's like a painting, if you think about it, but instead of brushstrokes, it's all about the patient weaving of natural fibers. I keep imagining the hand that guided these dark coils into a swirling dance on the round, sun-kissed surface. It’s almost as if the artist was chasing the rhythm of the natural world, capturing a sense of movement and energy within a very contained space. What do you think the artist was thinking about as they worked? There's something so intimate about the scale of this piece, too. It's not shouting for attention, but it invites you to lean in, get closer, and really appreciate the subtlety of the texture and the elegance of the design. I feel like every artist, in a way, is always talking to each other across time, inspiring new ways of seeing and feeling. And this, this is the kind of art that makes you want to pick up your own materials and join the conversation.