Masks

Silver gelatine prints, 2022.

The papier-mâché mask, originating from Oaxaca, Mexico, takes on the form of a donkey. When you step into my father and his wife's apartment in the southern part of Stockholm, your attention is immediately drawn to the wall adorned with an array of animal masks. Among them are a dozen hand-painted animal faces. Occasionally, I find myself daydreaming about assuming a different identity or concealing my own behind one of those masks—two fundamental reasons for donning such disguises. We used to engage in a playful ritual, asking each other which animal we felt a connection to the most. Some friends would spend considerable time contemplating the array of masks on the wall before settling on their choice. These moments led to games where we would draw parallels between ourselves and various animals based on their character traits. I would often pick the donkey mask simply because I like how it looks.