Young Man's Shirt (dloki) c. 20th century

This shirt, called 'dloki,' was made by Nakunte Diarra. It's a real textile painting, you know? I imagine the artist thinking about the young man who would wear this shirt and carefully painting each triangle and square, one by one. There’s something meditative about the repetition. Maybe he was thinking about the young man's future, painting protection, strength, or even good luck into the cloth. The earthy colors and hand-painted details, like the rows of zigzagging lines, give it a raw, personal feel. Each shape seems a little different from the others. The way the dark pigment seeps into the fabric, like a dye, makes you think about the time and effort that went into creating this garment. It kind of reminds me of Gee's Bend quilts. These makers share a sense of rhythm and a very particular logic. Ultimately, it's an artist's unique vision made into something wearable and beautiful. These are the kinds of everyday objects that keep artists going, I think, the desire to make something unique and functional.