Skirt (Longyi) c. mid 20th century

This Skirt (Longyi) was made in Mandalay, Shan, and I’m immediately drawn to the way the whole piece feels like a process. The texture here is all about the printed surface, that repetitive, rhythmic pattern in reddish-brown, almost like handwriting or musical notation. Look at how the artist lets the lines and shapes breathe, allowing the off-white ground to become part of the composition. See how the overall effect is like a meditation on pattern and repetition? I think about artists like Anni Albers, who used the grid as a way to explore both structure and improvisation, and how this skirt, like her work, embraces the beauty of imperfection and variation. It’s a reminder that art isn’t just about the final product but the journey of making.