Witnessing the Self In Making

Creating my adornment has extracted out of me - patience, attention, and care. It is in experiencing these emotions that the mask gradually transformed into my adornment.

In making, I was both, the ‘doer bird’ that was experiencing the sweet and bitter of my actions, and the ‘witness bird’ which was aware, sitting still and reflecting.

The ‘doer bird’ experienced the hardship and trouble of long hours of making, it was faced with the decisions of materials, colors and aesthetics. It was experiencing the distractions, snags, and frustrations of the things not going as per plan. This bird enjoyed the help and goodwill of the guardians who lifted the adornment up by giving it their time and attention. This bird experienced the adornment through its senses.

But deep within me the ‘witness bird’ reflected on my choices. It kept my compass in check. Symbolism and aesthetic areas not the only goals anymore, ‘the witnessing bird’ provoked me to find the truth of my adornment. By witnessing the truth of my choices that Zaba and Bhootham became a part of me. We were bleeding into each other, infusing traits and forces into each other. In making, I birthed Zaba and Bhootham as reflections of me.

Making, Imagining and creating has been a month long process. Making the actual masks using the materials I had envisioned took two whole weeks.