What began as a small hobby eventually blossomed into a collection of traditional pieces of West African art now on display as the Tears of the Mask exhibit at the Isla Center for the Arts.

“It came late in my life,” said Associate Professor Dr. Hauhouot Diambra-Odi, the main contributor to the exhibit. “It started with a few pieces and grew exponentially.”

The Tears of the Mask exhibit—named such because masks are an expression of both sorrow and joy, compelling someone to either cry from joy or cry from sadness, Odi said—is on display at the at the University of Guam Isla Center for the Arts until October 9.

One of three contributors to the exhibit, Odi also said each of the pieces in his personal collection of masks, clothing and statues tells a unique story of the culture of those countries bordering the shores of the Atlantic Ocean such as the Ivory Coast, Namibia, and Ghana.

“The majority are from the Ivory Coast—that’s where I’m from,” he said. “But because the Ivory Coast shares a border with many other countries, you have tribes across the border who share the same culture. So some of these artifacts really don’t belong to a country.”

Kenneth Maratita, another contributor, said he picked up a xylophone made of gourds from Guinea when he lived in Africa for three years in the early 90s.

“One of the drivers of the embassy took me up to his hometown toward the middle of the country, and that’s when I saw it.”

Tim Guile, the third contributor, said the baskets and drums he purchased while living in Namibia during the mid-to-late 70s aren’t on display in his home in the traditional way. He and his wife use the baskets to serve food and the drums are played when they spend time with friends and family.

“We never thought of them as artwork,” he said. “We always saw them as every day items. They hold memories of southern Africa. They have a warm feeling—not like plastic or porcelain, which feels rigid and uncompromising. These things you can bend them a little and acquire with age a hominess.”

Pointing out two large masks with protruding headdresses, Odi said he remembers when he was a child and would watch the stilt dancers wearing these masks and standing on bamboo sticks. Like most of the pieces he lent to the exhibit, Odi said they keep him connected to his homeland nearly 10,000 miles away.

“What do they mean to me—my tie with Africa, my roots,” Odi said. “They help me remember where I came from, but I also love Guam. Guam is my second home.”

Velma Yamashita, Coordinator of the Isla Center for the Arts, said one of the main objectives is to showcase artwork from off-island.

“Dr. Odi’s collection is perfect for that,” she said. “We haven’t had an exhibit like this in a very long time. It’s really neat because it’s just a diverse collection from the masks to the garments to the musical instruments. It’s something very different for here.”

About the Exhibit:
The Tears of the Mask Exhibition includes over 80 objects from Africa to include masks, sculptures, musical instruments, baskets and garments from the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Cameroon.  Private collectors Dr. Hauhouot Diambra-Odi, Dr. and Mrs. Tim Guile, and Mr. and Mrs. Ken Maratita lent the objects for this display.

Location:

Isla Center for the Arts, House #15 Dean’s Circle, University of Guam

Dates: August 27 to October 9, 2015

Hours and Admission:

Monday through Friday 10:00am - 5:00pm

Saturday 10:00am - 2:00pm

Closed Sundays and Holidays

Admission is free.  Donations are appreciated.

Sponsors:

This project is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Guam Council on the Arts and Humanities Agency, Office of the Governor, and the University of Guam.