My kite

After watching a programme on Sky Arts about tribal masks in africa i was inspired to take a look at my old photographs from New York where i visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art which had a large section with african sculpture and masks.

I find it fascinating how the human face is represented in these masks as rather brutal, sinister and deformed. Tribes from all different areas of Africa have somehow ended up with this in common.

African masks are used for ritual dances, whether it be to tell a story, commemorate a death or to bring good health.

Inspired by African masks i chose to make a kite using the design of a tribal mask and produce a 3D kite so as it would appear to curve like a mask would.

The aim of my kite is to create my own kite which will perform a ritual dance in the wind as it flies,like African masks are used in tribal dances.



Unfortunately my kite did not fly very well once i took it outside, i think that i did not make it long enough to get a good amount of air inside it. Ether that or adding supports inside to keep its shape may have enabled proper flight.