AFRICAN MASKS

Ritual and ceremonial masks are an essential feature of the traditional culture and art of the peoples of Su-Saharan Africa. They were used in religious and social events to represent the spirits of ancestors or to control the good and evil forces in the community. They come to life, possessed by their spirit in the performance of the dance, and are enhanced by both the music and atmosphere of the occasion. Some combine human and animal features to unite man with his natural environment. This bond with nature is of great importance to the African and through the ages masks have always been used to express this relationship.

Masks are one of the elements of great African art that have most evidently influenced European and Western art in general; in the 20th century, artistic movements such as cubism, fauvism and expressionim have often taken inspiration from the vast and diverse heritage of African masks.

In most cases, mask-making is an art that is passed on from father to son, along with the knowledge of the symbolic meanings conveyed by such masks. At this point, this art has been passed on to Students from SIES Humanes in Cubas who have become mask-maker achieving impressive results that you a can observe below.

Here you have some pictures of the process from start to finish, and if you would like to create your own mask, you can find how to do it here. Dare to try it!!!

Lastly, here you have the final result: