Untitled (20)
From the series "Acts of Appearance"

A key work by Indian photographer Gauri Gill, the series “Acts of Appearance,” centres on a collaboration with traditional papier mâché artists. From the Konkona tribe in Jawhar District, Maharashtra, the Adivasi are well-known for their masks, made for a sacred annual village procession, representing various gods, demons and ancillary figures, which select residents are chosen to wear. In 2015, Gill commissioned artisans Subhas and Bhagvan Dharma Kadu to create a series of masks depicting individual expressions of contemporary reality in the village. Revealing tender humour, the human and animal masks, as well as their composition, were designed in collaboration with the community. Positioning the performers and the mask makers as both subject and collaborator, Gill focuses on a collaborative practice directly engaged with local communities.