devonkayne

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archives of two separate kindombolo face masks carved by the pende peoples of the democratic republic of the congo. wood & pigment both from the twentieth century.

separated by thousands of miles across decadent land, unfamiliar waters, & multiple claimed & unclaimed territories across the continent of africa, what would it look like for two artists of the pende peoples: a kipende speaking peoples who reside in the congo, to conjure together on a piece verses independently of one another? what would the clothing of kenyans & eretrians sharing thread & needle look like? what specific details would elicit artistic similarities & differences when seen or found by each other? what was considered aesthetically pleasing versus displeasure when constructing the clothing or masks amongst other various sub saharan africans way before the interruption of colonizers with african sand under their feet?

of course it would be naive to negate the clear & realistic potential for these two african peoples to engage in defending one’s bloodline just as humans have done since the beginning of time, however, there is also the clear potential for a deep love & exchange, what would these half west african half east african deities look like? the taste of the food? the scents of perfume & colognes? the facial structure?

from the trees in the congo, to the soil in angola, to the sugary heat in fort smith, arkansas; i ask myself as a boy from the south what do you think these masks, deities, & figures would look like if you conjured ideations of these just as your ancestors did before you? 

inspired by the warmth of other suns by @isabelwilkerson this six part series attempts to answer these questions through diligent research & the conjuring of one’s own designs & influence when coming across these archives. enjoyed researching this & with love, from me to you. 🖤

archives sourced thru @anansixstudios.

wheat paste graphic on textured canvas, handmade & curated by devon kayne.

full portfolio: devonkayne.com