Realistic / Illusion

Artwork Description

This project is composed of seven wooden masks. The choice of the medium comes from the extended concept of masks in digital Pop Culture, where masks are usually used as a sign of hiding or switching identities, showing another side of a person, or as a symbol of mystery. Mask is a dividing line of light and shadow, real and fake, realistic and illusion.

With Inspiration from traditional Chinese opera makeup, I integrated digital pop culture elements into the conventional mask design. With some attempts to depart the design from the standard mask design, I blurred the facial features of the mask with an asymmetrical design, then made a bolder attempt with comic style and kaijin element in Tokusatsu. (Tokusatsu means Japanese-style live-action film or drama that uses practical special effects. E.g. Godzilla ).

Known as the villains in heroic movies, Kaijin is a massive concept about monsters. In addition to being the evil side of the conflict in film and television works, one of the interpretations says kaijin originates from human emotion, desire and wishes. This interpretation considers the concept of kaijin as an artistic approach to creating characters by demonizing and exaggerating the negative aspects of ordinary people. They are designed on the premise of being homologous to humans. Kaijin and humans are the two sides of human nature, just like the two sides of a mask.

Society is a masquerade. When we step onto the stage of this society, we will all have to hide our personalities behind masks that conform to what others want us to be and become someone others need us to be. Those masks are not a part of the natural personality; they are another external self that slowly merges with the natural character.

There is light on the mask and shadow behind the mask. What is the light, and what is the shadow? Is the shadow behind the mask a reality or just an illusion?