Woman's Shawl (pulkari) c. 20th century

This Woman's Shawl was made anonymously, we don't know when or with what, but you can see it is a process. I love the way the maker has worked with oranges, yellows, and whites, repeating and layering the thread. It’s all about the making of the work, really, the labor of love. The stitching creates a surface that feels really present, like you could sink your hand in there and feel the texture. Look at how each stitch varies slightly, giving the whole thing a kind of wobbly, alive feeling. It's not perfect, but that’s what makes it so beautiful and personal. The whole pattern is built up from repeated shapes, but each one is subtly different, a testament to the human hand. For me, it connects to artists like Anni Albers, who also explored the possibilities of textiles as a form of visual language. And just like Albers, this shawl shows us how art can be an ongoing conversation, a back-and-forth between the maker and the materials, leaving room for lots of different ideas and stories.