Maya

These 4 masks show different phases of Maya’s shapeshifting form over the past 200+ years. These identities are also explored in the paintings in this exhibition. These masks were carved out of traditional Kaduru wood by Mr. L.A.R. Nandana in Ambalangoda Sri Lanka based on my paintings and sketches of each character, and then finished and painted by me in Los Angeles.

The stories of past lives told by the injured Maya hint at the idea that identity isn’t just about the stories we tell ourselves, but also the external forces and context shaping those stories and assigning meaning to them. The reading of signifiers which at first appear to be solid like gender, race, and class will change depending on the backdrop they find themselves up against. By framing Maya as the narrative thread, the past lives are less about linear reincarnation and more about the ongoing act of storytelling, where each life is a new script. The ghillie suit and blue mask emphasize that the roles are impermanent, changeable, and shaped by context.