Mask of Iyagbon, Mother Earth
Goddess of the Edo pantheon in Benin Kingdom (Nigeria), who watches over all living creatures, culture and its objects
Created by Samson Ogiamien and casted in 2020 in Benin City, in collaboration with the Igun Eronmwon, the royal founders of Benin City
Copper alloy, lost wax casting
Loan from the artist
This emblematic bronze mask is both a traditional and a contemporary artwork representing a new generation of African art travelling to Europe to reconnect with their ancestor’s art in diaspora. The actors of Onyrikon interact with the mask during the show, and a new ephemeral body for the mask is created in situ at each adaptation of Iyagbon’s Mirror. S. Ogiamien
