As seen in the previous post, many creative minds all over the world remained active even during the Coronavirus lockdown. Inspired by quarantine, face masks intended as protective devices, but also by fetish masks, London-based designer Freyja Sewell came up with eight decorative face masks.
Made from everyday objects including felt and yoghurt pots, the masks are not intended as a medical devices or as personal protective equipment (PPE), but they are part of a visual project Sewell published on her Instagram page to honour the key workers during the Coronavirus pandemic and send them a sort of visual thank you note (with photographs by Sara Marinangeli).
One of the first masks Sewell published was inspired by sci-fi and was dedicated to workers from the communication and financial services, from the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors, and from information technology and data infrastructure (just to mention a few ones), and, while the mask was made with a piece of chain mail fabric, the designer recycled wires and cables to create a halo-like structure around her head.
Journalists and broadcasters were celebrated with a mask in BBC red and three objects similar to microphones used as head props, while yellow was the colour the designer employed for a circular mask with a visor covered with mathematical formulas and childish drawings to celebrate education and teaching staff.
A high vis-jacket was accessorised with a mask with a shape evoking the roundel, London's underground logo, to hint at transport workers, and a green felt mask evoking organic forms found in nature reminded people of all those ones working in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery.
Sewell opted for a neon yellow shade to remember public safety and national security workers (including the police, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel, fire and rescue services, prison and probation staff) and she used yoghurt pots, beer cans and a painted pool table triangle to make this mask.
Political leaders and civil servants and people working in local and national government were celebrated with a purple shade and a mask that incorporated a piece of a plastic crate.
The most striking mask was maybe the one dedicated to the health and social care workers, such as doctors, nurses, midwives and paramedics. This sky blue (a colour inspired by standard PPE employed by healthcare workers) mask covering the face and neck made with pleated cotton linen recycled from a theatre costume was intended to be a sort of superhero costume, but called to mind in its structure the shape of armours, while the halo-like head prop pointed at religious iconography.
Sewell's Key Workers masks were also inspired by her passions and interests and, in particular by sci-fi and Buddhism, but the best thing about them is not just the message of solidarity they send, but also the fact that all the materials she employed to make the pieces were recycled and reinvented, reminding us that, yes, creativity is everywhere, even in lockdown.
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