item details
Overview
This is a face mask produced by Tongan artist Czarina Wilson, as part of her Pacific-inspired accessories, homeware and art brand Kingdom Design.
Significance
This mask evidences the way in which, Wilson like many other Pacific makers and artists redirected their making skills and business efforts to create personal protective gear in the fight against Covid-19.
Wilson lost her daytime job in retail, and was unable to proceed with the business plans she had put in place for 2020. Mask-making kept Wilson busy and afloat during lockdown and the continued Covid-19 restrictions that followed in the period after.
Demand for masks were high, with orders delivered nationally, and to Pacific communities in Australia and the United States. Many customers have been essential workers, family of elderly and people with underlying heath conditions.
Masks can also be a canvas for protest, a vehicle for a message, and like fashion, a place to make a statement. This particular mask features the recognisable nifo koula (grills, gold caps on teeth) a popular form of adornment associated with Tongans. There are also references to the military camouflage design and Rastafarian tri colours.