Oni Mask 

Editor: We are looking at "Oni Mask", a mixed-media sculpture by Sarah Joncas. Its bold, almost cartoonish style makes quite an impression! How do you interpret its cultural significance, considering its artistic execution? Curator: It’s a powerful piece! Consider the function of a mask historically. Masks aren’t merely decorative; they’re performative objects, designed to transform the wearer, to embody a spirit or tell a story. Here, the stylized rendering pulls from traditions of ritual objects meant to influence events by shaping identities. Does this feel removed from or inspired by earlier expressions? Editor: I think it leans into contemporary culture a little more? I mean, it reminds me of video game characters more than anything. Is it tapping into a more accessible idea of transformation through gaming avatars or cosplay, rather than historical masks? Curator: Precisely! The choice to present the fantastical through digital references is particularly significant. Sarah Joncas seems to be acknowledging the democratizing effect that contemporary fantasy has had. How does presenting what was exclusive to initiates now in game worlds change its accessibility, and impact? Editor: So the artist may be commenting on who gets to transform themselves? Or who has permission to occupy these power fantasies? Curator: It could certainly be interpreted that way. It encourages questions about how we represent and understand concepts like identity, and transformation. What if the mask reflects the spirit not of ancient lore, but of today’s mediated identities? Editor: Interesting, the accessibility makes me wonder if it critiques art's gatekeepers just as much as historical conventions! It also seems like it democratizes cultural concepts as they appear in popular video games. I never thought about masks in that way. Curator: Absolutely, and the artist uses our present understanding of societal pressures in how it reinterprets it. Art reveals these layers if we just let it.