The Mask (II)

Born in Ife in 1928, Abayomi Barber was a surrealist painter, sculptor and teacher. Exposed as a child to the palace of his uncle the then Oni of Ife, Oba Adesoji Aderemi, he was attracted to the Ife sculptures. As an early teen he began to create artworks with whatever material he found available. He later went to the UK to study on a scholarship from the Yoruba Historical Society. He is well known for his attention to detail and surrealist works. In this, he influenced a crop of young artists whom he taught while at the University of Lagos. They would become known as the Barber School and carry on his tradition of surrealism in their art pieces.

This piece, a different style from Barber's usual style depicts a mask as the title suggests. The artist has employed the use of colours to portray a masked face. It can be said to be made up of geometric shapes like triangles, rectangles, ovals, and some thick lines to illustrate the hair. Also visible on the background of the painting are imprints of the human palm.