Bwa Plank Mask | Exhibition Print

Edition: Limited to 10 
Size: 29.7cm x 42cm 
Paper: Somerset Velvet for Epson - 255 gsm, 100% cotton rag

From the Bwa peoples of Burkina Faso and Mali.

Bwa plank masks (often called nwantantay) are made to be worn in masquerade. A dancer performs the tall, graphic form with a full fibre costume; the mask is traditionally secured by gripping a rope at the back with the teeth.

In performance, these masks embody spirit forces that shape human life, appearing at initiations, burials, and agricultural rites to honour the dead, mark transition, and support the proper turning of the seasons.

Painted in red, white, and black, the geometric patterns work like a visual language. Their meanings are taught within the community, sometimes through initiation, and in performance they help signal the spirit presence the masquerade brings into view.