Masks have interested, intrigued and inspired me for a long time.

Masks – a complex topic that often brings up fears …
because masks cover things up, they lie between « that, what is » and the beholder.
In their negative aspects, masks conceal, render people anonymous and may deceive. Like the hoods donned by gangsters robbing a bank …
In their positive aspects, masks protect their wearers, enable them to express things they wouldn’t normally tell. They help us expand.

Masks -  a topic that is not so trivial …
because masks unveil or bring to light unknown or unconscious aspects of one’s personality or are instrumental in making visible powers that normally aren’t. This is true of ritual masks used in ceremonies by many societies living close to nature.

To start with, I marvelled at masks in magazines, books and museums. They came from Africa, Oceania, Venice, America. I was fascinated and impressed. I also bought some. In 2007/2008, I created my first mask during a workshop. Together, this mask and I are an imposing  6 ft 5in character who made its first official appearance at the Lucerne Carnival in Switzerland!
Since then, many more masks have come to me. Smaller or larger, to hang on the wall or to wear. There are hardly any limits to design possibilities.

Masks can be purely aesthetical or playful objects – they can be worn for carnival or used as decoration items. You model your own mask in a relaxed atmosphere, you paint it – and eventually you choose the fabric that’ll perfectly enhance it. Voilà – your mask is ready!

Or we use the creation of a mask as a way to find answers to an issue that interests or intrigues us by letting our hands freely give form to the clay (the starting material that is later covered with a special paper). The result may come as a surprise to us because we’d never thought we could fashion something as beautiful and creative that tells of our power and resourcefulness. Masks help us better understand ourselves and unearth our unknown treasures …

These “mask adventures” are open to everyone. We only need clay, some paper, paint and fabric, a little patience – and the mask is finished!