Picasso’s African Period (1906-1909)

As the French empire was expanding into Africa, African artefacts were being brought back to Parisian museums. This aroused curiosity in African carvings and masks. Naturally, African culture and art influenced some of Picasso’s pieces in this time.

Picasso famously incorporated African influences into his work in Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907)

The figures on the right of this painting are inspired by African masks, with their striped and oval forms. His harsh geometric lines have mask-like qualities. Picasso painted their faces with earth tones, typical of African sculpture. The contrast between the femininity on the one hand and the African masks on the other hand is shocking, and exaggerates the mask-like faces further.

Some of Picasso’s other pieces inspired by African masks include:

Head of a Woman (1907)

Bust of a Woman (1909)

Nude with Raised Arms (1907)

Three Women (1908)

As a lot of Picasso’s work was influenced by African art, particularly masks, I thought it would be interesting to make a mask inspired by Picasso’s work in response:

 

Bust of a Woman with a Hat (1962)

I paper-mached my mask using coloured tissue paper and part of a cardboard box I found in someone's recycling on the way back from the art shop (fate!). I then decorated using markers and glitter glue.