Nonzuzo Gxekwa X Pierre le Riche I The Mask Project

"In African cultures masks are never decorative playthings, they connect one to the spirit world. A mask is a sacred medium between this world and the next. The appropriation of African masks by Western artists – Picasso is a famous case in point – resulted in a deactivation of their deeper value. African masks were never solely an innovative resource for art, but protective conduits between the known and the unknown."

 

- Ashraf Jamal

“I initially started making face masks for friends and family when South Africans were first introduced and then required to wear them in public, and there was still a shortage of them in the country. As I fabricated countless masks and trying to capture the personality of the intended wearer with my choice of fabrics and trims, the reality of a masked society started dawning on me. I couldn't help but fantasize about how these objects would integrate into our daily lives—pictured them becoming an extension of fashion and flesh. The elaborateness of the masks transforms them into objects which blurs lines between objects of functionality, art, craft and fashion. Inevitably, these masks become props for a masquerade which can hopefully distract from the spectacle of a world riddled with a pandemic.”

 

- Pierre le Riche

“The Mask project was a way of capturing and making sense of the strange time that we are living. But instead of feeling lost and anxious about this period, we decided to use our art as an outlet for the anxiety around us. With Pierre we drew inspiration from African heritage where masks are a form of communication and part of costumes used in special events and rituals. Masks act as a form of protection as well as a way to hide certain elements. They offer communication with our ancestors and with each other.”

 

- Nonzuzo Gxekwa

“Now masks have become part of our everyday costume as there is a great responsibility among each and every one of us to protect each other from the virus. The beautiful artistic creations that we have made inspires the wearer to wear the mask without feeling the eminent threats of our present times. The nakedness of the models represents our vulnerability as this pandemic has stripped us of everything that we know—of life as we know it. The pandemic has affected everyone, rich, poor, black and white. It is asking that we take a deeper look at ourselves and the world we live in.”

 

- Nonzuzo Gxekwa