Behind Masked Portraits by Mawuli
An inherent point of a portrait is that the subject wants to be seen. That’s why the focus is mostly singular; and that’s also why some of the most touching portraits are the most vulnerable - the subject looking out at us, head on, and yelling without saying a word. Which is why these portraits by Ghanaian artist, Oscar Korbla Mawuli Awuku (a.k.a. Mawuli) are so ironic. Instead of their vulnerability, each subject shows us a mask. These masks also speak volumes in different ways - they tell us that each of us holds secrets, have different faces, hide our true feelings for better or worse. They tell us that each of us is human.
See a few of Mawuli’s digital art that we love, including an Afro X Space series that makes us feel like humans will remain human regardless of how far we advance.
