Woman's Wedding-Festival Veil c. 1975

This Woman’s Wedding-Festival Veil was made anonymously, and I love to think of it being handmade, stitch by stitch. The orange embroidery on the dark fabric has an amazing depth, like tiny flames flickering against the night. The texture is so rich, you can almost feel the bumps and ridges of each embroidered dot. Look at the way the floral decorations are arranged, that central line breaks up the severity of the geometry of the dark fabric and adds playfulness to the piece. It reminds me of an Agnes Martin grid but made with such different materials and intentions. That kind of handmade feeling puts me in mind of the work of contemporary artists like Faith Ringgold, who also use textiles and patterns to tell stories. Ultimately, what's so great about this veil is that it invites us to imagine a whole world of ritual, tradition, and personal expression, all woven together into something beautiful and mysterious.