Tribal Mask Making

Explore the art of tribal mask-making, a craft rooted in rich cultural traditions and spiritual symbolism.I have made this as fun and simple as possible .Enjoy!!!

1. Clay
2. Newspaper
3. Clay carving tools
4. Colour paint and paint brush
5. White varnish
6. Cardboard (Stand)

Mask is a blend of elements often associated with tribal or folk art traditions, possibly symbolizing spiritual protection, insight, and connection to the natural and supernatural realms.

To ideate our mask , We need to add significant cultural elements . Lets take mine as an example

1. The mask uses bold colors like red, green, black, and white
2. The red lines radiating from the center may represent energy or movement, a common element in ritual masks symbolizing the flow of life or spiritual energy.
3. - The green arc around the eyes and nose creates a natural, organic look, symbolizing growth or fertility.
4. - The third eye, marked by a black dot on the forehead, often represents spiritual vision or wisdom, a symbol found in various cultures to denote inner awareness.
5. - The mouth area, marked with black grid-like lines, could represent teeth or a symbolic guard/ Jail kind of Structure and Mouth piercing acting like a lock , potentially related to protection from spirits or negative energy .

1. Draw a rough figure after ideation
2. Roll the newspaper into a face kind of shape and stick it to the floor
3. Flatten your clay to a certain amount of thickness and spread it on the newspaper face .
4. Start carving basic elements of the face ( Eyes, nose , ears , Mouth)

1. Add more designs and elements to the mask like for example like mine - Third eye (Bhindi) , Piercing , Lines on face
2. Now put holes on side to give a thread connection for the mask - 3rd image
3. Now we wait for it to harden ( Make sure there's no thin sections , otherwise it will break)

1. Apply a layer of white paint and make the mask smooth
2. Wait for it to dry and then start Painting
3. Add colours according to your ideation and add elements like dots , lines like i did above based on your wish

1. Create a stand using Cardboard according to the size of the mask
2. Add your name to it
3. OPTIONAL : Paint the stand

I Gave some final touches - Giving colour to mouth piercing , added more dots and adding extra layer of colour to make it more brighter and Our mask is ready