RED SINNER

A contemporary interpretation of the traditional death mask, this piece is a modified sculptural portrait based directly on the artist’s own face — transforming a personal likeness into something ritualistic, unfamiliar, and otherworldly.

Cast in semi-transparent metallic red resin, the mask allows light to interact with the material itself, creating depth beneath the surface while giving the piece an unnaturally vivid, almost blood-like presence. The translucent quality of the resin allows subtle variations in light and shadow to move across the underlying facial structure, emphasizing the sculptural nature of the work.

The traditional death-mask form has been deliberately modified and pushed beyond its original purpose, turning a record of the human face into a more aggressive and symbolic object. Red metallic horns extend from the silhouette, transforming the familiar human likeness into something caught between portrait, relic, and creature.

The surface is lightly weathered by hand, introducing subtle imperfections and signs of age while preserving the metallic character and translucency of the resin. The result is a piece that feels less like a pristine manufactured object and more like an artifact with a history.

The mask is fitted with adjustable leather straps and a wet-formed vegetable-tanned leather backplate. The backplate is shaped by hand to create a structured, sculptural foundation behind the mask while providing a secure and adjustable wearing system. Over time, the natural vegetable-tanned leather will develop its own character and patina, making the piece increasingly individual to its owner.

At its core, this piece is an exploration of identity, mortality, and transformation — taking a traditional object created to preserve the likeness of the dead and turning that likeness back into a living, wearable form.

A self-portrait transformed into a death mask.

Each piece is individually handcrafted, with variations and subtle imperfections that make every work unique.

Handcrafted by Morgue Studio.