A Study in Noh Masks

The masks in this online exhibit are part of the Founding Collection of the Mask Alive Museum & Cultural Center (MAMACC), and available as a traveling installation.

Donated to MAMACC by the artist Zarco Guerrero, these masks are part of his Noh Mask Series, carved between the years 1986-1990 during the artists’ residency in Japan. Themes explored in the masks include the duality of good and evil, joy and suffering, and the blend of the mystical and human experience. Traditional Japanese elements seen in these masks include references to Japanese Temple Guardians that represent samurai or warriors, as indicated by the hair. The range of emotions on the masks also represents how Noh masks can become abstract in exaggeration of features.

A master sculptor, storyteller, and visual artist, Zarco Guerrero began carving wood in 1986 when he received the Japan Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. He lived in Kyoto, Japan for one year and was the first non-Japanese apprentice of Master Noh Mask carver Joshun Fukakusa. Joshun shared the ancient secrets with Zarco on how to create the most sophisticated of all theatrical masks. The Noh Theater was the ritual theater of the Samurai class and demanded a high level of skill and discipline. Zarco then traveled to Bali, Alaska and Mexico to carve side by side with master carvers.

The artist is currently blending various styles learned from these experiences to create a hybrid style which reflects a world view of the mask art form. The wood masks are carved with japanese tools and balinese knives. Zarco carves a variety of woods such as cypress, cedar, bass, cottonwood and mahogany. The artist strives to produce a highly refined mask carving in exotic woods for the most demanding of collectors and aficionados.

Officially, these masks carved by Zarco are not considered traditional Noh Masks as that name is reserved for Japanese sculptors only.

EXHIBIT PROSPECTUS
Traveling exhibition includes the 18 objects shown in the online collection (ready to hang), object labels, exhibition text, artist biography, and artist photograph.

To bring this traveling exhibition to your space, send inquiries to [email protected]

For larger exhibit spaces, this exhibition can be combined with the CalaKabuki exhibition to show the progression of the artists' style and technique, and how the masks are used in the Arizona arts community by local dance, music, and theater companies at Cultural Coalition's festivals, outreaches, and educational programming.