Concealment and Exposure: Contemporary Application of Masks in Lampshade

Abstract

This study explored the use of traditional African masks in the designing and production of interior design accessories. Through pre-colonial antecedent and masks’ contemporary explorations, three masks were selected and redesigned for interior ambiance using ceramics studio practice. The selection of the masks was based on their physical characteristics and associated meanings. Masks are believed to be carriers of the spirits they represent and may possess religious, reproductive, socio-cultural and theatrical significance. Due to their original use and symbolism, African masks have scarcely been sociable objects for ordinary domestic and public adaptations. They are deemed mystical, ritualistic, and psychic, and create auras whose exploration for today’s design concerns seem plausible. The design outcomes from the study showed that masks as cultural objects associated with mysticism and socio-cultural purifications, could through effective design decisions be adapted for functional and aesthetic concerns. KEywoRDS Aesthetics, Aura, Ceramic Practice, Concealment, Design Concerns, Mysticism, Traditional African Masks