Over the last year, with the spread of the Covid-19, the protective face mask has become an everyday accessory that we are bound to for the foreseeable future for our health and the health of others.  

However, the mask is all but new to many cultures of the world. In fact, masks have been used since the beginning of time for ceremonial and practical purposes playing a significant symbolic role in funerary customs, fertility rites and healing rituals. Masks have been used as a form of entertainment to portray characters in dramatic performances and in reenactments of mythological events. Masks also play functional roles, such as protective wear in war, from the heat and cold of water and weather and as a form of disguise.

 This trimester, we will explore the history of the mask and you will choose a specific type of mask to learn more about by focusing on its form and function within a specific culture. You will then learn hand-building techniques with clay to design and create a mask inspired by your research.