An Arts & Crafts Project on African Masks
Many ancient art pieces carry with them an air of mystery in contemporary life and African masks are no exception. These carefully-designed visages sometimes date back to the Paleolithic Era, tens of thousands of years ago, and they are among some of the most prized artifacts in the art world. For teachers trying to dispel the uncertainty surrounding African masks, having each student create such a mask of his own can help do just that.
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History and Purpose
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One aspect teachers should be sure to incorporate in any African mask arts project is the rich history surrounding these pieces. They were not the mysterious, unfamiliar images that seem so far removed from our society; rather, these masks were used in daily life, for celebration, rituals, dancing, war, spirituality, and remembrance. Africans who designed these masks likely found their images comforting, a way to take control in a world that was as yet barely explained. Emphasizing this role of masks will help each student when it comes to designing a mask of her own.
Design
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Students should begin by figuring out an appropriate mask design. There are certain mask designs that were common in certain parts of Africa, so if you're focusing on the history of a certain area, it might be a good idea to research and present certain mask styles for that region as a guide. If the area of Africa is not important, feel free to present a number of different possible designs to students to allow each to decide his own. You might also encourage each student to come up with a design that's totally unique; in this instance, getting him to think about what purpose his mask might serve will help, particularly when it comes to designing facial expression and colors. Once each student has selected a design, have him sketch it out before working with paper or clay.
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Paper
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Crafting an African mask out of paper is an inexpensive and relatively quick way to create an African mask. You will need different colors of construction papers, scissors, glue sticks, and pencils for this process. Basically, a student sketches out his earlier design onto construction paper and then creates a life-size mask using the various layers of paper. While there are few rules when it comes to the actual construction of the mask, particularly if you've encouraged each student to come up with her own design, there are certain style choices that students should keep in mind. Masks should be symmetrical but students can experiment with clashing or complimentary colors. Alternatively students can try inverting colors from one side of the mask to the other.
Clay
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Ambitious teachers might also consider having students bring African mask designs to life through clay. This process involves a significant time commitment and requires at least a pound of clay per student, clay-carving tools, a kiln, clay paints, and glaze. Each student then works to get the clay to look as close to his original design as possible. Working with clay can be challenging and frustrating, but if you keep the mood light and emphasize exploration and creativity, this can be one of the most effective ways to understand African masks. Once clay has been sculpted, a trained professional should prepare each piece and fire it. Students can glaze and paint each mask, as well as add embellishments like feathers and beads.
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References
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
