Mask of Caliban

2013
Reeds, grasses, and twine
28” x 36” x 13”

The Tempest is one of my favorite plays by Shakespeare for how it features magic and mythical creatures. It is also a compelling play for considering the close ties that the wizard archetype has with the history of colonization and the Atlantic slave trade. In The Tempest, Caliban, a spirit who has been enslaved by the wizard Prospero, has historically been portrayed as non-white in productions to heighten the sense of fear his character is meant to induce. The “Mask of Caliban” is a reminder of the human cost of wizardry and the fantasy to control the forces of the world.