“Chilkat Mask” in shades of blue — Clarissa Rizal — 2016
During my “spring break”, for the first time ever, I actually took a real spring break, like an actual, much-needed vacation. During the vacation I hugged and played with my grandchildren, visited my kids, romped around the desert with my friend Rene, and in between when nobody was looking, I wove this Chilkat Mask! Yep, it can be worn as an actual mask. I wove it with the same shades of blue weft yarns I dyed a couple of years ago and I am using the main bulk of the blue yarns for my most recent Chilkat robe called “Egyptian Thunderbird.” This mask will be in an exhibit of Northwest Coast Native masks at the Stonington Gallery in Seattle, Washington opening Thursday, June 2nd. Most of the masks at this show will be in carved wood, or in jewelry, and I doubt very much there will be a mask like this one that is woven; we’ll see. My “Chilkat Mask” may be the first of its kind, I don’t know. Come on down to the Stonington and let’s see! I’ll be there!
cloth-covered wires were inserted, hanging down with the warp, only in the central part of the Chilkat mask …this is to give the mask some structure with flexible capabilities to form to any human face — “Chilkat Mask” by Clarissa Rizal — 2016