Zak Ové
Stella by Starlight, 2013
mixed media, cast Jasmonite masks, vintage turntables
35 × 40 × 20 cm
Inspired by masking rituals and traditions of Trinidadian carnival, Zak Ové’s work remixes and reinterprets old mythologies with more contemporary materials and objects. He is interested in the interplay between antiquity and the future, creating playful juxtapositions that reference African diasporic histories and identities.
This work is part of a larger body of totemic and wall-based sculpture where Ové fuses vintage hi-fi equipment with African face masks, examples of which were installed at DRAF, Camden in 2015 for Curators' Series 8 by Christine Eyene. This style of mask references those made by the Luba people indigenous to Congo, where the hemispherical masks are said to represent female spirits.
Stella by Starlight also exudes the excitement ritually preparing for a night of dancing, with the pop of red lips and the turntable poised for the music to start. Sacred ritual meets the music of carnival, making these works a powerful convergence of body and spirit.
