"Given that we can live only a small part of what there is in us - what happens with the rest?"

Quote by Pascal Mercier

My mask making began with a visit to the Alice Atelier, Florence Italy, where I met Professor Agostino Dessi and daughter Alice and learned how to make a mask the traditional Italian way. “These are story containers” Agostino explains, “Stories are delicate, it’s best to store them in places that suit them. The stories a person can give to the world are precious”. Visit the Alice Atelier at http://www.alicemasks.com/

“Masks are made to liberate people’s hearts and minds” Agostino Dessi.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Dunedin Midwinter Carnival '08




It is Winter Solstice here in Dunedin and time to celebrate the shortest day/longest night with our annual Midwinter Carnival where hundreds of lantern-bearers, young and old, take to the streets with hand crafted, candlelit paper lanterns. This year's theme was New Zealand birds so huge papery tuis, albatross, fantail, owls featured in the pagaent. Seven masked dancers looked enchanting with their whitened hair, faces and "winter sprite masks". An extravagant fireworks show sent sparks raining down on the rapt crowd and the paper firebird lanterns. Conditions couldn't have been better with the weather mild and the night crisp, clear and windless, quite a contrast to last year when the event had to be cancelled due to a wild snowstorm. Note: The figure in the white mask holding the Owl Lantern is moi!!

1 comment:

charinthecity said...

Fantastic, Annette! How utterly lovely... I am very impressed with the lantern you are holding. What a labour of love.