The Many Masks We Wear
2023
Masking is a coping mechanism often used as a social survival strategy where people attempt to hide parts of themselves in order to fit in and stay safe in public spaces. This often occurs by mirroring other people's behavior or behaving in a way which is deemed socially acceptable in that situation. While some people may mask in a few uncomfortable situations, many autistic people mask all the time in order to hide the parts of ourselves that could be considered abnormal to the general public. In many situations, we are also taught to mask for the comfort of others and with the goal of not standing out. As you may know, pretending to be someone else for a couple hours to a day can be mentally exhausting, but doing this everyday, all day, can lead to burnout, loss of identity, and many other mental health complications.
The Many Masks We Wear is composed of a hand sewn hanging, where I brought together individual masks that connect to daily environments where anyone could find themselves masking their identity. These mask designs were created using analog methods and edited digitally before being printed on fabric. Two posters accompany the hanging, both of which show me wearing the hanging and embodying these many identities at one time.
Through this project I want both autistic and non autistic people to reflect on their day to day lives. I would like autistic people who mask to find comfort in seeing their experiences represented through design, while also gaining the confidence to let go of these masks in situations where it is safe to do so. I would like non autistic people to see the ways in which they relate to autistic individuals, as everybody masks in one sense or another. Through The Many Masks We Wear, I want to take a step forward in closing the gap between autistic and non autistic people by showing the importance of accepting both our similarities and differences, while working together to create a world where it is safe for all autistic people to unmask.