Mask 9

Mask No. 9 from the African Masks series of thirteen works.

African culture is a vivid heritage: a diversity of peoples, languages, traditions, music, dances and customs. I was deeply inspired by it when I saw its richness and vibrancy in person. Traditionally, African communities honoured nature and the spirits of their ancestors, and their art lived in sculpture, wood carving, weaving and the making of masks. It was the masks that captured my attention: they carry profound symbolic meaning and are used in rituals, from speaking with the spirits of the dead to marking social status.

This series explores many variations of the mask, often in bright and sometimes contrasting colours. The rectangular composition creates a balanced, geometric image that leads the eye straight to the mask and its details. Through colour and the emphasis of particular elements, each painting tells its own story and sets its own mood.