Kira c. 20th century

This Kira, at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, is a textile woven by an anonymous artist. The patterns, executed in a muted palette of indigo and faded terracotta, suggest a meditative approach to making. The horizontal bands anchor a world of strange symbols. Up close, you can see how the patterns are built with tiny, painstaking stitches. There's something almost architectural about the way these geometric shapes are assembled, like blueprints for some unknown civilization. My eye keeps getting drawn to the little squares with a single line snaking through them. Are they alphabets? A personal code? This piece reminds me of the work of Anni Albers, who also saw weaving as a kind of language. The conversation between women artists across time, each adding their voice to this ever-evolving tapestry, is a testament to art as an exchange of ideas. There are no right or wrong answers, just different ways of seeing.