Alphabet Basket (1994)

Evelyn Cly took up the challenge of trying to weave the entire alphabet on a basket. “We said we were going to put it the other way, and then Steve suggested we make it go the way [the weave] goes on the basket . . . I just had to squeeze everything in.” The letters in this whimsical basket appear to unfurl in alphabetical order in a counter-clockwise direction. While many basket makers coil their baskets from left to right, the weave of this basket runs counter-clockwise. In Diné (Navajo) culture, baskets woven with a left-handed weave are regarded as especially healing and powerful. Taking inspiration from historic Diné rugs, Evelyn places the alphabet across a background of black and white, giving balance and order to the letters.