Butterfly Colors

Salihu Ibrahim masterfully replicates the butterfly or plank mask designed by the Bwa people of Burkina Faso. It is traditionally worn by women over their heads during harvest festivals. Ibrahim carves the mask from sese wood and paints it with remarkable geometric artistry. He obtains the colors from natural sources, including what he terms as 'red stone' for crimson, yellow and white clays for their respective colors, and charcoal for black.