An opening, a handle and a few found details can make a plastic container look like a face. Colossal’s 28 October feature visits Romuald Hazoumè’s masks in My Blue Period at London’s October Gallery. The exhibition continues until 21 November.
The original object remains recognisable. You see a face and a container at once; that double reading makes the work particularly arresting. Reducing it to clever reuse would leave too much out. The gallery connects the series with anxieties about the world, while Colossal draws attention to empathy and suffering.
Look at how few details character needs, and how much their relationships change. This observation calls for a slower gaze. Give it time to settle on one particular face.
