Venice masks

Venice masks are not only an attribute of the famous Venetian carnivals, but also a symbol of traditions that go back centuries to the heyday of the Venetian Republic, to the times of free-thinking and comedy, seduction and adventure, to the times that ceased to exist at the will of Napoleon Bonaparte, but kept their symbolism in the faces of Volto, Columbine, the Lady of Venice, Bauta, Morretta, Niaga, the Plague Doctor, the Joker, the Cat, to fade away for almost 200 years, but to be reborn again in the memory of already forgotten, but incredibly vivid and colorful stories that are surrounded by speculation, condemnation and admiration, but which are destined to tell about the past.

Product catalog

Dolbnya Alyona Viktorovna
(Kazakhstan, Almaty)
master's path

Narrative on behalf of the author: "I have been making masks for 6 years. Why did I choose this kind of art? I have always been attracted to Venetian art, I liked to admire the brightness of these festivals, to look at each costume and mask. And at one point came the idea, or rather the question, can I make such beauty myself? And did not notice how I got involved in it!))))))) The whole process of making goes by hand from kneading papier mache (mass of cardboard and paper) to laying out rhinestones, painting and cutting. It is a long process and takes from 2 weeks to 2-3 months depending on the complexity of the mask. I learned it myself, looking for video tutorials of Italian and Russian masters. Unfortunately, video lessons are superficial knowledge, all the nuances are not revealed. Therefore, I learned everything else myself in practice, by trial and error, bringing it to perfection. But even now, my work is not perfect, still learning and learning. The technology of making masks from papier mache is a very old and originally handmade technology, which differs from the modern technique of making the same type of plastic masks, allows you to create a unique mask in a single copy, as it is impossible to do exactly the same, repeat as the previous mask. And so the owner of the mask will have a unique copy. My future plans are to study, learn, develop, make beauty..... I don't want to stop. There are moments that I lose heart, it seems that my work is not needed and not interesting to anyone. Probably, it is not for nothing that I meet people who give me incentive and direction to move forward. That's how I met Tatiana Semyonova, who offered me to participate with my works in an exhibition at the Central Museum of Almaty in December 2020. I was pleased to see how people looked and were interested in this direction."

The master of Venetian masks in the birthplace of this art is called a mascareri. In the hands of a mascareri, not just a mask is born, but a character, an image filled with history, and the mystery that the mask protects. The mascareri creates with his hands and heart, breathing into the mask the mystery and charm of a bygone era.

Workshop of Maskareri Dolbnya Alyona