Still life with African masks №5 Painting

The fifth work is the final one in the series of African still lifes. The artist wants to take a break from it for now, because he was able to reveal all the facets of this theme that he had planned. There are many more masks here than in all previous artworks. And its fundamental difference is that now the masks are not in an indoor environment, but outdoors - in the open air. Why is this so? They have gathered here from different isolated spaces. If we analyze the top layer of discourse, this symbolizes how, after the strict quarantine of the first years of the 2020s, the world changed, and when we came out of our apartments, we all saw that it was no longer the same. This coming out into the world, of course, is not literal - but in the mind. The second layer is this: all masks have their own facial expressions. Here you can detect shock, indifference, surprise. After all, not everyone managed to go through all the stages of accepting the inevitable. Third layer: some are only faces, some are busts on pedestals, as in ancient Rome, while others cannot be called full-fledged masks. Gradually getting rid of the traits of their personality that are no longer relevant in the brave new world, they turned into jugs, which will then crumble into shards and even into the sand on which they stand. The only exception is the object on the left - it has grown its own head and even green shoots on it. And finally, the fourth layer: it seems that even the black door in the building is an eye socket, staring at us spectators, looking into the eyes of the masks. Their eyes are also doors to closed, isolated spaces that can become a refuge from the frightening aspects of life in the brave new world.