South African landscape

This mask was created especially for me by the artist Luke Rudman, as part of the Maskbook campaign for the 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement.

Here is his message:
This mask was formed from various forms of waste material - such as plastic - which was collected along the South African coastline. The mask draws from traditional landscape painting and depicts various iconic South African flora and fauna. The mask-landscape includes various species of Proteas, Arum lilies and flowering shrubs, as well as the South African national bird, the Blue Crane. My hope is that the abundance of life, colour and beauty within the mask - in contrast to the pollution from which the mask has been formed - will bring attention to the importance of preserving South Africa’s natural world. The mask is a celebration of South Africa’s unrivalled beauty, as well as a plea to protect and amplify the indigenous knowledge systems which have existed harmoniously with the natural world for generations-upon-generations.