masks with personalities

​Masks are worn to transform a person in to another character or spirit, hiding the person behind the mask. This series aims to reverse this process and explore the personality of the mask itself. Rather than a mask transforming someone into someone or something else, I am transforming the mask into someone else. 

Life is learning (2018)
Bundu mask (wood), alkyd paint, porcelain, porcelain paint and copper leaf 25-53-28 cm
​private collection (The Netherlands)

​Life is learning has been through such a transformation. Made using a Bundu mask from Sierra Leone, which is a symbol of the Bundu society (women's secret society), where girls enter to learn about becoming a woman, this piece tries to emphasise the positive aspects of this society: learning how to become a woman. By completely stripping back and re-defining the mask features, making legs and covering her with a head of hair made from painted porcelain figurines, her vibrant, colourful character has been exposed. By painting this mask with a high gloss black paint and copper-leaf gilded lipstick, the viewer has the impression the whole piece is made from porcelain, emphasising the stunning beauty and grace of this mask's underlying character. Each of the porcelain figurines have been carefully painted with patterns, colours and words that represent the lessons of life for girls transitioning to women. Words like confidence, strength, speak-out and love adorn the figurines and aim to show the power offered to young women in this new world.

Watch me dance (2018)
Dan mask (wood), antique stereoscope, alkyd paint, porcelain, gold & copper leaf
​17-38-45 cm

​Watch me dance is made using a Dan mask from Liberia. In Dan culture this bird mask has been progressively used as an entertaining mask. The process of transforming this mask was, like the others in the series, by first stripping it back to its basic wooden form, redefining its features and then building up its new persona. To emphasise this mask’s entertaining character, I chose to build in a modified antique stereoscope (resembling ancient VR glasses), through which the mask is watching a painted porcelain sculpture of a Pierrot dancing. Watch me dance bridges ancient traditions (Dan mask, Pierrot from commedia dell’arte and stereoscope) with the new world of bright, glossy pop-art colours and modern humour.

Colour explosion (2017)
Wood, alkyd paint and plastic beads 18-38-8 cm
​Mimi Plange collection (USA)

collaboration with Mimi Plange's new collection 'unfashion'
“We always look to art as a source of inspiration within our collections. In particular, we love work with a modern look and a historic past. We came across the African inspired masks of artist Rosa Hanson-Alp on Instagram and knew right away that we wanted to collaborate with her and explore her very unique vision. We absolutely loved the custom mask she created for our “Unfashion” project. It captured the very essence of our voice with an explosion of colors and attention to detail. We hadn’t seen anything quite like it. Rosa was an absolute pleasure to work with and we look forward to seeing her future work and getting to know her distinctive voice"
​
Mimi Plange (2020)
fashion designer artist

Imperfection (2017)
Wood, plaster and antique porcelain 18-35-8 cm

Silenced (2019)
Dan mask (wood), alkyd paint and duct tape 16-24-10 cm

I see who you are (2017)
Dan mask (wood), alkyd paint and metal (16-24-10 cm)
private collection (Germany)

Gadget Queen (2017)
Dan mask (wood), alkyd paint and elements from a camera 16-24-10 cm
​private collection (Germany)

Medicine woman (2017)
Dan mask (wood), alkyd paint, glass, gold and copper-leaf, metal and bicone beads
​22-29-10 cm
​private collection (The Netherlands)

It's all bubble blowing (2017)
Dan mask (wood), alkyd paint and glass 16-24-10 cm
​private collection (The Netherlands)

Social media (2018)
​Mask (wood), alkyd paint, crystal bicone beads, copper leaf, metal & antique keys
​21-51-11 cm

Bright colours, sparkles and gold-gilding represent the alluring potential of Social media. A snake, symbolically decorated in beautiful crystal beads, gilded antique keys control her eyes and her mouth is sealed with a jewelled lock. Are we being fooled, is our view controlled…do we really have freedom of speech?

Below the sea (2016)
​Wood, gold and copper-leaf, alkyd paint and papier-mâché 19-34-9 cm

The character of Below the sea embodies the lost sunken treasures pillaged from West Africa.

Crystal clear (2017)
​Mask (wood), alkyd paint and crystal bicone beads 18-38-8 cm

I love bling (2017)
​Wood, crystal bicone beads and stone 15-70-15 cm

Bead me (2016)
Wood, alkyd paint and plastic beads 18-38-8 cm
​private collection (The Netherlands)

A dog's best friend (2017)
Wood, alkyd paint, porcelain, plastic and crystal bicone beads 18-38-8 cm
​private collection (The Netherlands)

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