Marupai c. 20th century

This object, called Marupai, was made by Elema people using natural materials, and it’s not really about one defining moment, but about an evolving process. It’s intriguing how the surface is worked, the way it's been hatched, scraped, or carved. See how the dark material of the object contrasts with the lighter markings, which creates a rhythm and a pattern, like a kind of visual language. It makes you wonder about the kind of tools that may have been used to make it. I am also drawn to the imperfections in the patterns, it brings a human element to it. You can imagine the hand of the artist carefully making each incision, and yet, the regularity gives it its strength. It reminds me a little of Sol LeWitt’s wall drawings, in a way. The beauty of art, especially something like this, is that it can mean so many different things to different people.