It’s a shame no-one holds masquerade balls any more if only because one wouldn’t have much opportunity to wear these incredible creations commissioned by Sydney concept gallery He Made She Made otherwise. Each of the Masked Intentions series is the brainchild of a different designer, and there were only two rules to follow: the masks must fit a human head, and they must be wearable. Not just-popping-down-to-the-shops everyday wearable, obviously, unless you wanted to be carted off in restraints or arrested by armed response officers, but still, some don’t look too tortuously uncomfortable, and all look completely brilliant.
Examining the history, function and possibilities of the mask led the 21 designers down very different paths. With free rein, imaginations went to some weird and wonderful places; Vincent Buret captures the very essence of cognition in his Bubbly Thoughts mask, while others looked at masks as expression concealers, identity deceivers, battle dress and even evolutionary camouflage. They won’t be hard for We Heart readers to spot though – they’re on display, and for sale, at the He Made She Made concept gallery in Darlinghurst until 16th June. There’s a limited edition book to accompany the project, and the whole lot can be ordered from their online catalogue.
Photography, Tomasz Machnik
