Golden Forest Mask
Inspired by the unfolding spirals of young fern leaves, this mixed-media mask explores the relationship between human identity and the natural world. Its branching forms and textured golden surface transform the human face into a symbolic expression of growth, concealment, and transformation.
Artwork’s Slogan: “Where the Forest Takes a Human Face.”
Title: Golden Forest Mask
Direction: Before the Worlds / Ancestral Languages
Medium: Cardboard, papier-mache, aluminium foil, gold spray paint, gold acrylic paint, black acrylic marker.
Technique: Hand-cut cardboard base with sculpted papier-mache relief, twisted foil elements, layered gold finishes, and hand-drawn black acrylic detailing.
Dimensions: Approx. 30 × 25 cm | 11.8 × 9.8 in
Format: Three-dimensional decorative mask / Mixed-media relief
Framing: Unframed
About Artwork:
Golden Forest Mask explores the transformation of the human face into an organic, almost mythical form.
Rising above the eye openings, irregular extensions resemble branches, curling shoots, and fragments of woodland growth. The textured papier-mache surface creates a relief that contrasts with the smoother contours of the mask, while the gold finish unifies these different elements into a single sculptural structure.
Black linear markings interrupt the metallic surface, suggesting the irregular rhythms of bark, roots, and natural growth.
The work reflects an early fascination with the relationship between human identity and the natural world — how a familiar face can become something between a human presence, a forest creature, and a symbolic object.