“The Head of Beauty” is a mesmerizing acrylic portrait on canvas, measuring 48 by 24 inches. The inspiration for this painting is drawn from an African traditional sculpture, the Bundu Helmet mask, carved by the Menda tribe in Sierra Leone. The mask is used by the Sande Society, a female society, for the initiation of young girls into womanhood.
The mask’s symbolic and deep meaning fascinated the artist, and they were struck by its depiction of idealized female beauty. The mask’s features are finely carved to highlight the most admired feminine features, such as a smooth broad forehead, elaborate coiffure, narrowly slit eyes, a small composed mouth, and a sensuously ringed neck. The symmetry of these forms creates a serene facial expression that implies self-control.
Interestingly, the mask also includes a beard, which is typically associated with the wisdom that men attain through age and experience. This beard’s presence suggests that women can achieve knowledge equal to men through the Sande Society. Directly below the curve of the beard, there are two slots through which the performer can see.
The mask’s glossy black patina symbolizes the beauty of clean, healthy, oiled skin. It could also refer to the blackness of the river bottom, where the Sande spirit is believed to reside. In this interpretation, the ringed neck may refer to the circular ripples of water that are formed as the Sande spirit emerges from her watery realm.
My admiration of the mask’s symbolism empowered me to create this painting. As I worked on it, I felt, thought, and saw beauty and pleasant situations. Indeed, a work of art is a reflection of one’s thoughts and feelings, and this painting invites us to experience beauty as we connect with it.
