Souvenir by Brendan Fernandes

In traditional West African masquerade, when the performer puts on the mask, it becomes a bridge between the human and spiritual realms. Interwoven with patterns of plaited shells, Brendan Fernandes takes inspiration from the masks housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's African collection — masks which have been removed from their place of origin — reimbuing the forms with specificity, texture, and purpose through textural photography and photogrammetry. Ten percent of the proceeds from each mask benefits Moving Forward: The Dancer Fund. This mask is carbon-negative through distributions toward environmental initiatives including Aerial & the Kasigau Wildlife Sanctuary. Through Souvenir, Fernandes reactivates the masks' nature: to create community, and to create dance.