Mask Archaeology

Mask Archaeology | Mu Yuming.

1995 — 2014 — 2015 — Present · Ongoing Cross-Media Identity Project.

Through the mask as method, the artist Mu Yuming undertakes a self-archaeology spanning thirty years. From early experiments in Oslo, Norway, to the 2014 Jingdezhen 「alchemy」 and the self-naming of 「the madman」, to the mature expression of the 2015 「Bitter melon accompanies melon bitter」 series — the mask is at once concealment and revelation. The 「Boredom」 series of May 2014 developed revolutionary forms such as 「food masks」, 「clothing masks」, 「tea-mat faces」; the core proposition 「these are my skin, my fur, my shadow」 runs throughout. Materials encompass cardboard, clay, food residues, everyday clothing, and ink rubbings — embodying the local and impermanent character of Arte Povera. The project forms a deep intertextuality with core creations such as 「Three Years Retreat」, 「Jingdezhen Social Sculpture」, 「Five Hundred Arhats」, 「Searching for a Soul Mate」, and 「Meng Chunsheng」 — constituting a visualized archive of psychoanalysis.