Diablada II

In Bolivian culture, the Diablada is a dance that holds cultural significance in the Carnivale de Oruro for it is the one that starts off the carnival. The dance represents the battle between good and evil – the angels and devils. The mask seen is worn by the diablo (devil). This work ‘Diablada II’ is a physical iteration of the meaning of the dance and the battle I have been having with my cultural diaspora. By using wire to build the frame of the dancer’s mask, I want to show that the devil represented in the dance is harmless and can shed some new light and new perspective. It also reflects on how artisans and mask makers create the mask as they use pieces of metal from objects such as oil drums to make these elaborate masks. The colourful aspect remains to represent the colourful Bolivian people who take part in this dance and its storytelling. ‘Diablada II’ is a love letter to my parent’s country, a love that had been buried deep in the shadows until now.

‘Diablada II’ 2023 shown at Mounted Ari for ‘CAST’ Curated by Tia Madden

Photo credits Dean Quinlin Li

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