A new skill i learned while doing this project was soft molding. I took a soft mold full of rice and formed it in the shape that i wanted and put it on a board. When i was done with that, I rolled out a large slab of clay. I put the rolled out clay on top of the soft mold. Then, while standing, i dropped the board onto the floor allowing gravity to give me the shape. This soft mold was perfect for creating a mask because it gave it the popping out effect with such ease
The use of masks has been going on for a very long time. People used to wear masks in rituals and ceremonies. In Egypt, they used to put masks because they thought that immortality depended on the preservation of the body. And of course, in some places masks were used as protection against one another in battle or when hunting. In Africa, they believe that if they wear a ritual mask, then they lose their human identity and turn into a spirit.