For millennia, masks have been more than just a facial covering but an object bestowed with magnificent power. From warding off evil spirits in ancient China to embodying ancestors in Indigenous rituals, their uses in cultural, religious, and spiritual practices are as diverse as human experience itself. It’s rich history can hardly be captured in this fleeting summary.
The mask's significance has morphed across centuries. Where Greek actors donned them to amplify emotions and embody characters, masks in Africa became vessels for ancestral spirits during celebrations. However, a shadow falls upon this history. Western fascination often led to the plundering of masks from their cultural homes, displayed in museums as "primitive" art, while artists like Matisse and Picasso were lauded for their "inspired" works.
In recent times, the symbolism of the mask has shifted in the wake of the pandemic and global turmoil. The mask as a facial covering is a marker of conformity as it is resistance. In the neurodiverse community its meaning relates to identity and persona.
Masks hold a potent allure, a captivating mix of mystery, the uncanny, ornamentation, and folklore. They are not simply objects; but a psychology that has been researched and reinterpreted throughout.
As a child I was terrified of masks, once the fear subsided I became fascinated by them and they have remained a constant source of visual and academic intrigue throughout my life. Curating this exhibition has allowed me to exercise this personal interest by asking artists to explore their own interpretation of the Mask.
Are they concealing as much as they are revealing?
— Isabella Imperatore (Curator)