Panel c. 20th century

This Panel was made by Kuba and now hangs in the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The surface is almost like a coded message. It's a black and white textile divided into these four distinct quadrants, like a map of different emotional territories. I can imagine the artist, or craftsperson, carefully planning out each section, maybe even improvising along the way. The zigzags speak to me of speed and urgency, while the diamond patterns hint at stability. These shapes seem to talk to each other across the surface of the panel. I wonder about the tradition of textile-making in the Kuba culture, and how this panel relates to their broader artistic output. I see a connection to artists like Anni Albers or Sophie Taeuber-Arp, who also explored the intersection of craft and geometric abstraction. Ultimately, this panel is part of an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time. It reminds us that art is a form of embodied expression which embraces ambiguity.