Tunic c. 20th century

This mud cloth tunic was made by Tenenkou Traore, and the way it’s put together, you can tell it's all about process. I love the creamy white lines set against that deep brown. The patterns, like the zigzags and boxy shapes, they're not perfect, and that's what makes them sing. It's like each mark is a little dance, a record of the maker's hand. Up close, you can almost feel the texture, imagine the artist patiently painting each stroke. There’s a particular zigzag that runs along the bottom; it’s like a heartbeat, tying the whole piece together. It reminds me of some of the early minimalist painters, Agnes Martin, or even Sol Lewitt. It feels like it belongs in a conversation with contemporary abstraction, which shows how ideas can travel across time and different kinds of art. It's a reminder that art is always talking to itself, you know?