Siyona Lal

Hybrid Culture Mask

Class of: 2026

Major: Interior Design BFA

Medium: Wire sculpture

Faculty: Aviva Maya Shulem

Prompt: For this assignment we were asked to create a 3D mask out of linear materials inspired by ancient culture. Specifically beauty in culture and our own personal relations to it.

In this piece I created a mask out of wire about Chinese and Indian culture. As an Indian Women that grew up in Hong Kong I decided to make a mask that combined the beauty of both these cultures. I was inspired by the Ming dynasty porcelain with its white and blue floral patterns. I created this in the style of traditional Indian jewellery to depict the beauty of both my backgrounds. I made this piece entirely out of wire and started with a steel wire base and wrapped blue aluminium wire around it to demonstrate the blue designs in Ancient Chinese porcelain and used the wrapping style to make it look more hand made and ‘imperfect’. In this, I created a traditional Indian nose ring, head piece and a necklace to combine the two cultures together.