Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Mask-Joy



For this project, I decided to focus on my cultural background. I was inspired by the traditional hanbok’s overcoat which is called changot/장옷 (for nobles) or ssukae chima/쓰개치마 (for commoners). Back then, the purpose of this overcoat was for women to hide their faces when they went out beyond the confines of their house. The reason being was due to Confucian edict that “females should never reveal flesh to other people.” The overcoat is the finishing touch in the never ending layers of the hanbok. Similar to a mask, its basic purpose is to conceal and never reveal.
The overcoat mask is mysterious. It almost seems to consume the wearer.  It is used when one feels the need to be alone or deep in thought. Everything/everyone else is a blur; this mask pushes everything/everyone out. It walks alone and isolates itself.

No comments:

Post a Comment