MASK MAKING INSPIRED BY ULLA VON BRANDENBURG
Kindergarten – 2nd Grade (Ideal for Ages 5-8)
BIG IDEA
Artists use materials, color, and performance to transform identity and communicate emotion.
LESSON OVERVIEW
Students explore how contemporary artist Ulla von Brandenburg uses fabric, theater, film, and performance to transform space and express emotion. Inspired by her immersive environments and expressive characters, students design and construct wearable masks that communicate a specific emotion through shape, color, and form.
Students extend their learning through performance and optional short video documentation, integrating the full STEAM spectrum.
KEY ARTWORKS & REFERENCES
Ulla von Brandenburg is a contemporary German artist who began her career studying scenography (the design of theatrical sets). Her work often includes: large curtain installations, immersive environments, films, and performative characters.
Reference Exhibition:
Ulla Von Brandenburg: In Dialogue
MATERIALS
(All Grades)
- Recycled cardboard (cereal boxes, shipping boxes)
- Pre-cut cardboard mask bases (optional)
- Safety scissors (student and teacher use)
- Glue sticks and liquid glue
- Masking tape or painter’s tape
- Crayons, markers, colored pencils
- Tempera or acrylic paint (optional)
- Hole punch
- Yarn or elastic string for wearing masks
LESSON RESOURCES
Be sure to share your artwork by taking a picture of your project and tagging @BassCreativityCenter and #BassCreativityCenter.
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