Woman's Ceremonial Skirt c. 20th century

This skirt was made with raffia cloth by a Kuba artist, and it's right here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Each square in the skirt has its own different pattern, and it almost feels like the artist is in conversation with themself. They’re thinking, “What if I make these lines connect this way? What if I use these shapes?" It's like a visual diary! I try to imagine what it was like to make it. The artist’s hands carefully stitching and weaving. And, you know, when you're making something, you're also thinking. It's not just the hand, but the mind working together. The skirt feels like a collection of thoughts, like a conversation between the artist and the material. You look at the checkerboard section at the end and it's like a full stop or an exclamation mark that brings everything together. It makes me think about the connections between art and life and how we can learn from each other.