“The greatest fear for many is being left bare-faced. After all, people spend their entire lives mimicking this or that ‘hero’ yet often forgetting who they truly are.”
At least according to Alex Sorbonne, the co-author of an exhibition currently taking place in the foyer of the Lermontov Russian Drama Theatre in Almaty.
Working alongside the main creator, Daria Dunich, the pair set out to explore what happens to a person when a role ends and the applause dies down; the subtle boundary between a person as they really are and what they show society. Hiding in plain sight, discernible but not fully revealed.
With her signature technique, that is, using translucent fabric to create the illusion of a painting, Daria Dunich invites people to think about the border between recognition and obscurity and the veil between true personality and public image.
She explained:
“Public Mask is an art project about a person in a public space, where the individual constantly exists between sincerity and role.
“The project’s subjects are famous people, artists, patrons, and influencers; people we are accustomed to seeing in public spaces. They come from different professions, backgrounds, histories, and statuses.
“But in this project, they are merely reflections. Reflections of each of us. Who are we when we are seen?”
The exhibition runs until 1 December and will feature prominent public figures such as Roza Rymbayeva, Yerlik Balfanbayev, Ainur Ilyasova, and many others. The cast also includes actors from the Lermontov Theatre, who, through their work, encapsulate this very idea of masked versus real identity.
Co-author, Alex Sorbonne, is a master of Japanese painting and created personalised masks using an ancient Japanese style of jewellery drip painting. This is a mixed technique called Arare and Maki-E. Both techniques were used by Japanese artisans at the court of the Emperor Tenji in the 7th century.
The masks are not there to be frills, but embedded the exhibition, and Alex explained why:
“These masks express the character, full of hidden secrets and mystical mystery, of each of our characters.”
The work of a numerologist was also featured, as Lira Hasen calculated each character’s numeric code based on their date of birth. This allowed the creators to apply colours to each image to make it not only artistic but also deeply personal.
Singer Diana Sharapova performed on stage with the rock band QaraBas at the opening ceremony, with a special performance by acrobat Nikita Kondratyev adding to the spectacle, DJ Shamanita creating the musical atmosphere.
