This is my mask. I think when you start to look at my mask, you can see several things in general. I think in this mask there is a lot of literature.
This is an ornament that my community used to put it here just for – to be beautiful. You see, it looks somewhat cute. It looks different without us, you see. It’s usually made of beads, like this. And this is the shirt. There is actually a little of Kenya. They call it the map of Kenya. During struggle for independence, they use the shield so that you cannot attack. It was to stop the opponent from attacking. Also, the shield represents my community. That’s made of giraffe skin. When giraffe skin is dry, it is to look like a metal, yellow. This is my dream. I wanted to come for the United States of America for further studies about the airplane and also course for medicine
What I want, I want just to be in a place that is in summer season. Here in Kenya, summer, winter, autumn, spring, in Kenya, we don’t experience all. So, I wanted to experience such climatic conditions.
So here there is a hair of a lion, you see? Very simple, a hair of a lion. Have you ever seen a lion? You see, these are the most brave animal. There is not any animal braver than this. You cannot break the bone of a lion. So, you see. I drew it because my community – we live in a big flat track of land. You see? So, if I watch and just wait, they are just moving because they are south, we find just a lion. Only sometimes you find they are very sociable animals, but it came to there were some problems where a lion is unclean. And their custom to kill a cow.
These up here. All these are the traditional things that my community use when they go to wars. Even to now, you will find that they cannot move without this, this. And just for symbol, I put it here. Then, here is about music. I’m a fan of music.
Joarim Lewuantai
Kalamba Secondary School