unmasking her truth - project

This project explores the hidden weight women bear living within a patriarchal society through illustrated masks. In workshops, women crafted collages that drew on symbols of their strength. Building on these, Oilu translated their imagery and their selected animal into painted designs on the face of handmade papier-mâché animal masks. When the masks are turned inside out, they reveal the symbolism of personal struggles shared during the workshops.

Culminating in an online exhibit in Aug - Sept 2025, presenting both the exterior and interior of the masks, the photographs seek to disrupt the notion that the patriarchy has been dismantled; they serve as a record that, despite women's strengths, there are still battles endured quietly and a reminder that the personal is political.