Somewhere in the East, West, North, or South of Nigeria, a century ago, a crowd would gather. The masquerade would step into the centre, its flamboyant, coloured mask vibrant and vital. The crowd would cheer—perhaps with a hint of fear. After all, this might be the dead come to life. The spirits summoned through these masks and masquerades.
Throughout history, African masks have played vital roles in spiritual ceremonies, rites of passage, festivals, and storytelling. In these contexts, they do not merely represent spirits—they embody them, allowing wearers to transcend the ordinary and channel something greater. Yet beyond their ritual origins, masks have become powerful artistic and cultural signifiers—emblems of identity, creativity, and resilience.
There is an unmistakable energy in these masks—a vitality that pulses through their carved lines, painted surfaces, and the spirited performances they animate.
Beginning in the 1990s, Kolade Oshinowo began incorporating mask imagery into his practice, exploring their dynamism and theatricality. These paintings radiate movement and colour, echoing the flamboyance of masquerades and the electric presence of performance. There is a sense of swirling motion, of forms ascending—as if the mask were lifting off the canvas and returning to spirit.
His mask works are not ethnographic records or static portrayals of tradition. Rather, they are expressive meditations on the mask’s enduring potency—its ability to reflect who we were, who we are, and what we continue to carry forward. In Oshinowo’s hands, the mask becomes both a celebration of form and a declaration of cultural strength.
These works remind us that the mask is not a relic. Though its ritual functions may have evolved or faded in some contexts, its power endures. Oshinowo’s compositions affirm that the mask still speaks to us, offering a visual language through which to explore identity, history, and continuity. Like Bruce Onobrakpeya before him—who embedded masks within his cultural narratives—Oshinowo uses the form not for nostalgia, but as a vibrant conduit of meaning.
The dances and masquerades may have disappeared from many public spaces, but in artworks like Oshinowo’s, we are reminded of their glory, presence, and the lasting symbolism of the mask in our cultural consciousness.