Panel c. 20th century

This panel was made by Kuba people and it now lives at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. This is such an interesting piece, isn't it? It's made of fiber, so it’s not exactly a painting, but the impulse is very painterly. Look at the repeated geometric shapes, like squares trying to escape from each other – it’s almost architectural. I imagine the artist starting with a light base, maybe a beige or a tan, and then meticulously adding these dark, almost black lines to create depth and movement. The texture seems subtle, not too thick, allowing the pattern to really come forward. I wonder, were they thinking about Mondrian, or maybe Agnes Martin? All these artists play with geometry, but here, there's something really organic in how the shapes and lines interact. And the Kuba people definitely add their own cultural spin into the mix. It makes you think about how we’re all in conversation with each other through art, sharing and remixing ideas across time. It’s pretty cool, right?