A death mask is a wax or plaster cast of a person’s face following death. The mask functions as a... Read More
A death mask is a wax or plaster cast of a person’s face following death. The mask functions as a memento of the dead person, and can be later used for the creation of portraits. It is a way of making a long lasting sign of the dead person: the corpse will eventually decompose and the face will not be seen anymore, but through the death mask. Masks are often associated with the hiding or withdrawal of identity, but this is not the case for death masks. Death masks do not hide the identity of the deceased person, instead they are used precisely to represent and preserve such identity, by means of a very precise and realistic representation of the face. For me, making a self-portrait as a death mask has been a way of stating the acceptance of the thought that my existence has an ultimate boundary. It has also been a way of stating my identity simply as that of a mortal being.