After watching a BBC video on African masks, middle schoolers created their own expressive masks out of clay. Students attempted to capture symbolism in their pieces and gathered inspiration from both nature and the animal world, as commonly seen in authentic African masks. Some of the influences that inspired these pieces included cats, the ocean, and even football! After the final glazing, we added raffia, recycled items, and cowrie shells. In many indiginous African cultures, the cowrie shells have a spiritual component and are therefore often used to embellish important garments. We also looked at the artwork of Sammie Nicely, an African American artist that creates modern interpretations of masks and embellishes them with natural and recycled materials.
