Reconstruction of Tradition’s Child

This delicate mask combines vintage wedding veils with black and white biwa pearls. The dearth of bullets reflects the topic of love, while the contortion of veils alludes to how the tradition of marriage, viewed as a theme of protection by the artist, has been altered as it was passed down through generations.

This mask is from the artist’s series Poppa Said Girls Don’t Play With Guns, which explores forms of protection and infuses Southern, African-American, and African craft traditions. It is part of a diptych along with Deconstruction of Tradition’s Child.