Ilgich c. early 20th century

This Ilgich at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, stitched by Kungrat, is a world of vibrant, naive forms brought to life through embroidery. The interplay of colours is so striking! Look at how the dense, saturated reds of the central flowers pop against the dark ground, creating a visual vibration. The texture is crucial, right? It's not just about the colours but how the embroidery makes the surface alive. Notice the looping and swirling forms around the edges, like a garden overflowing its boundaries. Each stitch feels deliberate, not quite perfect, giving it a handmade quality, like a drawing in thread. There is a flower near the top right corner, its petals rendered in a playful light-blue, which for me is the linchpin in the colour relationships in the whole piece, bringing together all the reds, yellows and whites that are doing something similar. To me, this piece resonates with the work of artists like Ree Morton, who transformed everyday materials into poetic, almost dreamlike compositions. It's a reminder that art is a conversation across time, an ongoing dialogue of shapes, colors, and feelings.