Dancing in the Moonlight: Zara Masks of Burkina Faso

The exhibition focuses on a masking tradition of the Islamized Zara peoples of Burkina Faso, called Lo Gue, or White Masks. The masks honor deceased members of the community and perform only at night, the graphic white patterns in their costumes spectacularly illuminated by moonlight. There are two types of these entertainment masks on view: koloyiri, with a cowrie covered headcovering and ligueraboli with a long white fringed headdress. The consulting curator of the exhibition is Lisa Homann, Assistant Professor of Art History, University of North Carolina, Charlotte.