Mask c. 1940s

This wooden mask was made by the Tabwa people, and I'm struck by the carving, its depth and texture. It looks almost burnt. I love how simple the marks are, just cut into the wood. It’s so direct, you know? Especially the mouth, just a simple oval. The face is bisected by a simple vertical line that runs from the forehead to the nose, dividing the face in two. I think the Tabwa carver wasn't trying to hide the process. You can almost feel the hand, the tool, pushing into the wood. Looking at this mask reminds me of Giacometti's sculptures, those elongated faces and simplified features. Both artists share a preoccupation with form and process, revealing the beauty in the act of creation itself. It's like they're saying, "Here it is, in all its rough and imperfect glory." The mask invites us to see the world with fresh eyes, to embrace ambiguity and to find meaning in the everyday.