I was inspired by the colorful masqueraders I saw at the Fancy Dress Festival in Winneba, in the central region of Ghana, Ali Mohammed says of this mask. He is referring to a festival that dates back to the 19th century, originally celebrated only by English and Dutch on January 1st. When it became incorporated to local custom people dressed up to make parody of Europeans as well as to imitate various professions. Mohammed's original design is hand-carved of sese wood and decorated with painted details and white clay. In Twi dialect, afahye means festival.
Language: English
