Face mask

This face mask represents the widespread practice of making homemade face masks during the Covid-19 crisis. It is an example of a creative response to the events, as people sought to process the magnitude of what was happening through creative expression and the process of making.

Covid-19 is a type of coronavirus, which can pass from person to person by droplets.

Mask debates
The face mask has become one of the iconic symbols of the pandemic. Attitudes towards mask-wearing and the meaning of masks have shifted as Covid-19 increases around the world, and as political and social justice movements intersect with the pandemic.

Bridget Carpenter
This mask was made by Bridget Carpenter. Her work as a freelance production manager in the arts sector reduced dramatically as a result of Covid-19. With most events cancelled or postponed, Bridget was eligible for the wage subsidy, and it was ‘nice to do something’ while at home during lockdown (11.59pm on 25 March to 11.59pm on 27 April 2020). She had family and friends in Europe who were wearing masks, and she saw that friends were making them. She didn’t want to wear something disposable, and she knew she would be locked down at home for a period, so she made good use of the time by resting, mending and sewing. She was ‘thankful for the activity’.

Bridget’s bedroom became her home office during lockdown. She rejigged her room to make sure she wasn’t doing all her activities and hobbies from her bed. She repurposed a vintage TV dinner tray table to be her sewing table – it ‘became an essential piece’ of furniture.

She made upwards of 30 masks for family, friends, and colleagues. She used what fabrics she had at hand, or upcycled fabric from old garments – the black and white hounds tooth cloth in this mask came from a pair of trousers. She used pristine calico for the lining. She bought the elastic at the grocery store – this was the only material she was missing during lockdown. She did a bit of research into patterns, style and cloth, and slightly adjusted the pattern as she went. Bridget wore her mask when supermarket shopping, and ‘trained myself not to touch my face’ so that the mask wouldn’t be compromised.