Fernanda Lavera (b. 1975-)
Bull’s Mask, 2021
Acrylic, Spray paint and Marker on canvas
48 x 48 inches
In the ancient world, starting from Egypt all the way to Mesopotamia, the Bull was considered a sacred animal. On the island of Cyprus, noted for the number of archaeological sites and different civilizations, they used bull masks, made of real skulls, as rituals, which were then left in sanctuaries. Terracotta figurines wearing bull masks, dating from 750 - 480 BC, are said to have been found on the island.
Visiting the Metropolitan in New York, I was trapped by these terracotta figurines that pretend to be bull masks and that is how this series of four paintings was born, composed of: Man with a Bull Mask, The Ritual, Bull's Mask and The Sanctuary.