Take a peek at an array of moods on artistic masks

PUNE: A painting at an ongoing exhibition at The

Monalisa Kalagram in Koregaon Park

displays the words, 'A smile is my natural mask'.
Artist Sanjeev Joshi, who has created the work, explains, "In our younger days, a smile comes naturally but, as we grow old, we start using it as a mask to manipulate situations and get out of

awkward circumstances

."

The art gallery is hosting The

Mask Project

, an exhibition based on the masks that people don, real and virtual. The ten-day exhibition, which opened on November 17, was conceptualized by the owner of the gallery Lisa Pingle and Indranil Garai, founder of Indranil Garai Associates.
"Masks have always been a part of our culture. Earlier, they were worn when artists told stories, to represent deities and demons. We still wear the masks and the purpose remains the same - pretending to be someone we actually aren't," shares Pingle.

Work on the exhibition began a year ago when Pingle and Garai sent out masks to traditional artists, asking that they be painted. Apart from masks, the exhibition also includes paintings, pottery pieces and sculptures.

The exhibition is mainly divided into four segments - contemporary, traditional, experimental and international. "The experimental section is a hybrid of contemporary and traditional art, it depicts a blend of art forms from the current era as well as the past. While the masks are made with a modern approach, the paintings are by traditional artists. This includes Madhubani from Bihar, Gond from Madhya Pradesh, Kavad from Gujarat, Kalighat from West Bengal and Phad from Rajasthan," said Garai.

On exhibit are more than 200 artworks that speak of people masquerading their emotions. The festival also has on offer various mask-making workshops and competitions.

Another highlight of the exhibition is a series of paintings by city-based artist

Aditya Shirke that depict

the body of a woman but the head is replaced with an emoji. Four paintings with as many emoji showcasing different moods are Shirke's contribution to the display. The artist said, "Social media is our biggest mask. All of us have hidden behind the masks of emoji. We send an emoji with sunglasses to appear cool even when our feelings may be something else."