noah williams

Lives and works in Alexandria, VA, USA

Artist statement

Masks are vectors of connection with great spiritual significance. We all wear multiple masks throughout our lives, passing our energy through them sometimes as a filter, sometimes a protective cloak, sometimes a lense; a multitude of uses for a single item. Through my work I find varied uses for the old, distressed and discarded. Through deconstruction and reconstruction I merge clean and dirty, rationally combining the irrational, matching the mismatched, fusing nature with the man-made; combining the rusty, textured and shiny to make beauty anew. My sculptural masks often begin with a single discarded or found item or material. Over time a vision emerges of what the item should become. Some visions take shape easily, fully formed from the start, while others are shadowed; unreachable spirits below the surface trying to break forth into being. I as the vessel allow the spirit of the piece itself to guide my hands, channeling the energy received through vision into creation; energy reborn. My art is inspired by the importance of masks in African tribal culture. The idea that donning a mask can allow the wearer to channel a spirit, a beneficial natural force or an ancestor, illustrates the power that these faces have and the strength they provide. It is my hope that each mask I create conveys its own spirit and energy in some form to the viewer and the space it occupies, giving each person what they need. Through exaggerated features and layering, I invite viewers to...

Artwork