I make masks for a variety of purposes, in various forms and materials. Many of my masks have been created specifically for performances or for teaching, while others for personal research or private collections.
Each mask is an exploration, and often a surprising one. As I complete the clay sculpting of the mask, I often start to think I know who he or she "is," and what kinds of emotions or rhythms are likely to be revealed on stage. But then I make the negative mold out of plaster and I see new angles. Next comes the paper maché or neoprene, which again brings out different dimensions of the mask. Then cutting, spackling, sanding, painting - each of these processes offers dozens of tiny choices, each of which might be almost impossible to see in the mask itself, and yet which can completely transform the soul that will eventually emerge when an actor puts on the mask and it breathes for the first time.
Finally, the mask is complete. Or so I think. But each time I see it on another person, a new character comes to life. A mask that had looked fast and angry on one person may seem slow and cheerful on another. In the words of my mentor, Matteo Destro, "this (pointing to a mask) is not the mask. The mask is this, you, the room, the light coming from the window, your breath today. But even this is not the mask. The show is the real mask. Life is the mask!"
My masks are made by hand, and each is custom-fit to one's face. I am available for the commission of full-masks, larval masks, and half-masks. I also create masks that don't fit under traditional labels, and am always eager to hear someone's dreams and imaginings, to collaborate in the creation of a new form of mask.