Mask #1

August 2023

This was the first mask I built. I constructed it by making a mold of my face out of tinfoil, layering masking tape on the foil to preserve its shape, and then paper maché-ing newsprint and thin cardboard until the mask was rigid. I painted over it to complement the designs on the newsprint. It’s difficult to see in this image, but the paper maché extends forwards off of the mask in places — most notably on the nose.

Mask #2

August 2023

Having been particularly inspired during the making of Mask #1 by the thin cardboard Trader Joes uses to package its Persian cucumbers, I set out to build my second mask using this material alone. I used no paint on this one, except to apply a white thumbprint for the mask’s mouth. Glue and the thin cardboard provide all of the color and texture.

This mask is also where I refined my string-braiding technique. I found that braiding cotton twine would give me just enough give to make a workable mask string.

Mask #3

September 2023

For this mask, I hand-cut and painted about fifty styrofoam blocks. I could only glue 2–3 at a time onto my foil-and-tape base, so gluing this whole mask together was a week-long puzzle, with frequent failures and recalibrations.

Robot Mask

February 2026

I built this mask for the author photoshoot for The Poetics of Information. I constructed the frame out of a cardboard box and some tape. I built the ears, cut the eyes and mouth, and applied tinfoil the best I could. I am happy with the results. Here is the picture I ended up using from this photoshoot: