Husk-Face, Portrait Masks and the ones that cling to the face.
© © Sketches from my 2022-23 notebook. Like many, I am drawn to handmade (carved, woven, formed from clay, paper mache, etc) masks that represent a culture or country's identity. That identity encompasses a wide scope of form, design, signification and interpretation. Yet, I have had masks that I purchased at a thrift store or garage sale that I had no understanding of anything other than myself finding it aesthetically appealing. Photo above: I bought this mask at a thrift store in Fairbanks, Alaska in 2023. My interpretations or understanding of it are based on guess work; fictional narratives. ⚓ Sometimes, when I place a mask from a second-hand sale in my hand and decide to bring it forward with me, I sense a deep responsibility to care for it. There is a story, or koan, in Buddhism that explains this, as well as much more. It is titled, Wash Your Bowl. The bowl is symbolic of many things, as is washing it. One is to honor the bowl by caring f...
