Annual 14

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We often ‘read’ faces for signs of character and behavioural intention, which is why in many traditions masks play an important role. The mask becomes a sort of face that we can change. In traditional Chinese opera, colours when applied to masks are highly symbolic in evoking character. For instance, red and black symbolises honesty and loyalty, etc. These colours produce physiological effects on the audience who read them for information about the moral and ethical composition of an actor’s character. Lingyu Wang’s practice engages with this traditional art form and its modes of narrative construction from a contemporary perspective.