Bridges not Borders – June 2021

Masks to Counter Indifference by Pascale Bourguignon (translated by Catherine Stratford) (June 2021)

. . . My mask looks like a round planet floating in silence. It is alone in the galaxy, looking at the stars. This mask also represents my emotions. Many different emotions: confusion, sadness, joy, surprise… These are Kate’s words. Kate, a young Mexican adolescent who recently arrived in Quebec from Mexico. These are the words she used to describe a mask made in a workshop: Masks to Counter Indifference.

My name is Pascale Bourguignon. I am a visual artist living in Havelock. I got involved in “Bridges Not Borders”, a group of citizens concerned about the lot of refugees crossing the border at Roxham Road, in Lacolle. I decided to use my talents as an artist to give a voice to younger refugees, those who must follow their families and who rarely get to express themselves.

In 2019, I created an art workshop for young refugees living in Montreal (attending Georges Vannier School and La Maisonnée). The idea was simple, give a chance to these adolescents who had arrived in Quebec recently, to express themselves and to tell their stories through the making of papier-maché masks. These masks allowed them both visibility and anonymity. This answered their opposing needs to both express themselves, to be heard, without having to reveal themselves or their identity.

These young people were between 12 and 16 years old, and came from 9 different countries: Vietnam, Algeria, Brazil, Guinea, Haiti, Mexico, Senegal, Palestine and Syria. They did not know each other at the beginning, but the reservation and shyness of the first hours were quickly replaced by enthusiasm and creativity. Over time, the students exchanged in French, in English but also in their different languages which they shared words from, or facial expressions which inspired questions, laughter and comments which enabled them to dedramatize certain situations they had experienced.

Their parents were waiting for papers permitting them to live in Quebec but these young people already had established new friendships. They were confronted with new customs that amused them, puzzled them and often, quite naturally, embarrassed them. Their fluency in French, given the circumstances was surprisingly good. They were able to express complex ideas. When the masks were finished, we asked them to write a short text to explain their thought process.

Here are some examples of their work:

Fatou : Senegal
There are two parts to my mask. The coloured part represents what I know about myself, here and now. The other part represents what I do not yet know about myself. The part I know about myself is bigger than the other part. There are many different coloured parts, confusion, fear, curiosity…The other part is black, because it is still secret.

Hatem : Syria
I was not able to finish my mask or to make it the way I wanted to. I started it but I was not able to finish it. It does not have eyes, but rather two mountains, the large mountains from home. I painted it with colours, but I did not like them, so I added white but then they became blurred. It is all blurred. It is difficult to make this mask. My friends also made horns for their masks and used the same colours. I tried to copy them but after I wanted to change everything. I still do not know how to make my own mask.

Alimou : Guinea
For my mask, I made Black Panther’s face, the super-hero. I really like super-heros, but he is my favourite. He is the only one who has the same skin colour as me and he fights for Justice in Africa. He is strong and brave. He has white scars on his face because of his battles and light is coming out of his scars. It is his force. I really like my mask!

The masks were exhibited in the “Cuisine ta ville” event organised by ATSA (when art passes into action), from May 9-12, 2019. They were accompanied by the texts written by their creators. You can access them on the workshop blog: projet-masques2019.blogspot.com These masks and the stories behind them deeply moved the public.