Masks

Masks can be a very powerful means of communication and form of hiding our true self and identity. We all wear many masks in our daily lives, the masks we present at work, to our friends, family, partner, child are all very different. These masks are in a sense invisible but so familiar. There are times when we choose to remove these masks, such as during a therapeutic session, or when we've had too much wine or sampled other forms of drugs, then we reveal the masks we keep so well hidden. In making our own masks we can make visible those many sides of ourselves we keep so very private. Mask making is therefore an amazingly powerful way of unlocking our inhibitions and allowing the varying sides of ourselves to emerge.

"Using silver foil was an uncomfortable experience, my face felt smart and sore afterwards, a dull headache ensued for the duration.

I was frustrated that the impression of my contours became distorted once
the tissue paper was added."

"The final piece looked nothing like me…
The inside of the mask felt more like me than the outside."

All text and pictures have been reproduced with the consent of the participants