The Elements
The Elements is a collection of 4 masks that depict the Classical elements. They typically refer to the concepts in Ancient Greece, of earth, water, air, fire, which were proposed to explain the nature and complexity of all matter in terms of simpler substances. Sometimes these theories overlapped with mythology and were personified in deities.
I combined different details from the Greek and Roman mythologies, and Russian folk tales to personify the elements. The Fire Mask is modeled after the god of war Ares. The Water Mask gets a lot of its narrative from legends about the sea god Neptune. The Earth Mask symbols depict the Russian folklore monster Leshii. The Air Mask represents the messenger of the gods Hermes. I created these masks as collages of what they represent. The masks are made from clay, painted with underglaze.
