In Patras, where the carnival is not just a celebration but part of the city’s soul, Vasiliki Kaspiri, a well-known visual artist, invites us to see the carnival with a new perspective. With the carnival mask making workshop, Vasiliki wants to give back to her city its lost spirit, to remind what carnival really means and to inspire creation beyond the industrialized image of modern entertainment.
“I love and have been working on masks for many years,” she tells us with the passion that characterizes her work. Inspired by traditional Venetian techniques, as well as her own techniques, adapted to the Patrinos Carnival, Vasiliki wants to “teach” the participants in the workshop something out of the ordinary. “It’s a selfish reason,” he admits, “I perceive faces as a map on which everything you’ve lived is written. When you have this map and wear it whenever you want, it’s something magical. And I don’t want that to be thrown away.”
Vasiliki Kaspiri’s workshop is not just a technical seminar. It is an inner search, an attempt to bring back the identity of the Fatherland Carnival, which, as he believes, “is terribly messed up.” In the age of Instagram, the image seems to have become dominant, while the true meaning of the celebration has been lost. “We go out to take pictures and upload nice pictures, but the real expression and relaxation no longer exist,” emphasizes Vasiliki. For her, the carnival is the “pressure cooker valve” – a moment where you are allowed to let off steam, feel the freedom of expression. “That’s what I want to give back to people through the workshop – to find the authentic expression that we’ve lost.”
The seminar will last nine weeks, with classes every Friday and Saturday and every Monday and Wednesday from October until the beginning of December. Participants will learn to work with basic materials, such as clay, plaster, paper, gauze and paints, while simple, humble everyday materials will be used for decoration. “We don’t need to fill the place with garbage,” says Vasiliki Kaspiri. Instead, the challenge is to create something unique through simplicity. “As a craftsman, I always use natural materials and abhor chemicals. I want to go back to basics, paper, gauze and simple materials, and create something authentic.”
Masks are not just decorative items for Royal Kaspiri. Each one hides a story, an expression of the spirit of the celebration. “I’ve made countless masks for groups, but now I want to go back to the basics,” he says. The workshop is not only an opportunity to create but also to connect, both with the tradition and with others. “I don’t want to have chewed the food and give it chewed. I want a partnership to take place, this happens anyway at Carnival.” Through collaboration, he wants to highlight the essence of collective creation – to bring together people who, with their own small part, will make something bigger.
And because the carnival is a celebration for everyone, all the items created in the workshop will be put up for sale in February, near Chiknopempti, and the proceeds will be returned to their creators. “Let’s be a little,” says Vasiliki, inviting us to participate, create, and remember the true meaning of the carnival.
For those interested in participating, places are limited as Vasiliki wants to offer quality coaching to every participant. It is also possible to take individual courses, such as mold making or printing, and special discounts are offered for students. For more information and registration, you can contact via e-mail at kaspiriv@yahoo.gr.
Vasiliki Kaspiri’s workshop is not just a series of mask making classes. It is a declaration of love for the Fatherland Carnival, an attempt to rediscover our identity and create something that will have a soul, that will connect us to others and to ourselves. With simple, everyday materials and with a lot of passion, Vasiliki invites us to be part of this magical celebration again, where the true spirit of carnival can shine again.
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