Remembrance: The Inspiration

In creating this mask I reflected on my own grief experience of living through many tender days following the deaths of my father, mother and older sister - all within a three-year period.  Now, grief is a close companion in my life. Even though the grieving process has been painful it has helped me remember deeper truths about life and guided me in how I live my life today. In Khalil Gibran’s Sand and Foam he writes “Remembrance is a form of meeting.”  I feel the absence of my family members each day and I find great comfort in Gibran’s words.  

I’ve found in my own personal and professional life engaging with individuals who suffer from mental illness that what I have to offer is an open heart, reflected through keeping my eyes and ears open to their experiences and offering kind words of support and acknowledgement.  I cannot always make things better, but I strive to accompany people and make sure they feel seen, heard and cared for. I chose to paint the eyes, ears, and mouth on the mask gold – to help me remember this. I was inspired by the meaning of three Adinkra symbols: 

• ANANSE NTONTAN "spider's web"

  •  Symbol of wisdom, creativity and the complexities of life. (Depicted on forehead of the mask)   

• OWUO ATWEDEE "the ladder of death" 

  • Symbol of mortality.  A reminder of the transitory nature of existence in this world and of the imperative to live a good life to be a worthy soul in the afterlife. (Depicted on the green portion of the mask)

• ASASE YE DURU "the Earth has weight" 

  • Symbol of providence and the divinity of Mother Earth. This symbol represents the importance of the Earth in sustaining life. (Depicted on the green portion of the mask)

  • ​

I chose a color palette based on explanations of Kente colors and their meanings: 

• Black – Maturation and intensified spiritual energy. Blue – Peacefulness, harmony and love. Gold – Royalty, wealth, high status, glory and spiritual purity. Maroon – The color of Mother Earth; associated with healing. Green – Vegetation, planting, harvesting, growth and spiritual renewal.

​

The blue, black and gold areas above the face of the mask are inspired by my remembrance of a dear friend in Thailand who introduced me to Buddhism at a formative stage of my life.  I had recently graduated from college and was serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer on the Thai-Laotian border.  She introduced me to the Noble Eightfold Path which outlines a series of practices to reduce suffering.  I find these practices challenging and inspiring.  The gold “rivers” demarcate 8 sections representing: 1) Right understanding, 2) Right thought, 3) Right speech, 4) Right action, 5) Right livelihood, 6) Right effort, 7) Right mindfulness, and 8) Right concentration.  Ultimately, this mask symbolizes what I strive to remember about who I am, who has helped me become who I am, and who I aspire to be.