Ak Jansen

Extravagant Hiding, #2, 2020, canvas, fiber, batting, 14.5" x 10.5" x 3.” Photo credit: Ak Jansen
Extravagant Hiding, #4, 2020, canvas, fiber, batting, 12" x 13" x 3.” Photo credit: Ak Jansen

I was making protective face masks, and distributing them to the people in need in my neighborhood, when I started to experiment with masks in general. Protective face masks conceal a person’s identity - they cover most of the face with a solid color, a blank canvas. In this sense a mask could become a kind of painting. With the masks in these photos I’m asking: how can identity be restored in a mask on top of a protective face mask and what kinds of characters might be needed in public life on the street right now?

Instagram