Maskers 1939 - 1941

Leo Gestel’s ‘Maskers’ presents a collection of faces sketched with a light touch. It looks like he made it with ink on paper. Imagine the artist's hand moving deftly, outlining each face, varying the pressure to give each mask a distinct character. It seems as though they're layered, almost like tiles, packed together to create a mosaic of expressions. Some faces are serene, others quizzical, but each is rendered with such clean lines that they possess a graphic simplicity. It feels like a covert operation. The hatching in the background could signify the tension or anticipation of hidden identities. Gestel might be playing with the idea of concealment, and revealing the multitude of selves we all carry within. Masks, after all, hide, but also reveal. Gestel was inspired by many artists, from cubists to pointillists, and they were all in dialogue with one another, pushing boundaries and playing with form. "Maskers" celebrates that tradition.