“Phyllis Galembo’s interest in the masquerade traditions of Africa and its diaspora began twenty five years ago, with her first visit to Nigeria. Since then, she has travelled widely in west and central Africa, and regularly to Haiti, making portraits that document and describe the transformative power of the mask. Her subjects are participants in masquerade events, both traditional African ceremonies and contemporary fancy dress and carnival, all of whom use costume, body paint and masks to create mythic characters – sometimes entertaining and humorous, often dark and frightening, and always powerful and thrilling. Titled after the Haitian Kreyòl word for mask, Maske is the first comprehensive collection of these portraits.”
One of our favorite books to carry: MASKE by PHYLLIS GALEMBO
We may not share a street corner with Mohawk General Store, or even a neighborhood, but knowing that we share as much as distantly linked power wires and cellular data molecules in the stilted summer air of Los Angeles makes us happy. Go in, get this book and say hi to our friends.
If you’re on the other coast, you can pick up prints by Phyllis Galembo at Steven Kasher Gallery in New York.
via mohawkgeneralstore
