When I was invited to be part of a group exhibition about masks, I was really inspired by the subject, and my first thoughts were: colorful masks and costumes, weird shapes and patterns, folklore, festive colors.

But then I gave it a second thought and decided to go with a more low-key and understated approach. At this point I'm really fascinated and inspired by nature, plants, organic shapes and patterns, and thinking about masks I realized that one of the purposes of the mask, behind the festive one, is to hide the face. Sort of like a shell. And then I started to think about reasons why someone would feel the need to hide his face. And I came up with three characters, each of them has different reasons to wear the mask, each one has completely different approaches to life.

 

The Wizard or The Necromancer wears a ritual mask when performing rites of passage or communication with the spirits, the mask helps the connection with the spirit world but also works as a protection for the mediator between the world of the living and the realms of the dead.

 

The Warrior puts on a mask when he goes into battle, in fact his whole body is a sort of mask, a protective shell, which shields his body, and also gives him a powerful, intimidating appearance in the eyes of the enemy. It can also hide its owner thus empowering him to conquer and do acts of killing more easily.

 

The Scientist's mask is a more humble one, it hides his human features in order to help him blend in with the subjects of his studies - be they plants or animals or minerals, without interfering and disturbing their natural habits. It also helps him understand his subjects more intimately.