Jana Skurteska

Ashdale Secondary College

Year 9

Conte and chalk on paper

My artwork was inspired by an ancient copper African Mask called ‘Obalufon’ dating from the 14^th to early 15^th century. It is from the Kingdom of Ife, an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria. My drawing was created using chalk pastel and conte. Due to the large scale of the work, I had to complete various experiments with the media and create an effective composition beforehand. I really tried focusing on the shadows and highlights on the work to create form. Blending and layering the media was also important because I wanted to make the texture smooth.