Inspired by the one of the main deities of Candombl\u00e9, Iemenj\u00e1 \u2013 goddess of the sea and mother of other orix\u00e1s \u2013 I wanted to make a mask that displayed the beauty of the sea whilst materialising one of nature strongest forces: the sea. Similar to the function of a mask, Candombl\u00e9 practitioners would have catholic saints with hidden initials of the orix\u00e1s they believed in, concealing their true faith. However, for this mask, I intend to do the opposite. I want to design and make a piece that is a crown, that celebrates the ocean, the water and its power. Like many of the depictions of Iemenj\u00e1, the garment should give the wearer the quality of being fantastical and mystical. In the rituals performed by Candombl\u00e9 practitioners, wearing a mask conceals their \u2018humanness\u2019 and it allows them to access spirits of their ancestors. Inspired by this concept, the crown gives the user the identity of being neither completely human, neither completely scared. It masks the human\u2019s humanity, and it also masks the spirit of the invisible world. Thus, the mask borders on a territory of in between human and holy. I also want a mask that will engage the viewer into reflecting. I want to bring into question how in the past humans have worshipped nature and how we abuse of it and disrespect it today. How the relationship changed and is unequal now, almost as if we feel we are the gods, to treat the world as we currently are doing today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":17226,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17218","student-work","type-student-work","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-space-materiality"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n