A Head of the Past is an exhibition created by artist Bradford Shaw Hermann consisting primarily of masks and sculptures, utilizing different components, from repurposed man made materials to those made by nature.

“Be yourself; everyone else is taken.” – Oscar Wilde

A mask is an object normally worn in front of the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes. The use of masks in rituals and/or ceremonies is an ancient human practice, still used today across the world, although masks can also be worn for protection, hunting, sports or used as ornamentation.

But, there is also the psychological mask, the persona, the social face that humans present to the world, a mask designed on the one hand to make a definite impression upon others, and on the other to conceal the true nature of the individual.

“The greatest battle we face as human beings is the battle to protect our true Selves from the selves the world wants us to become.” E.E. Cummings