Aliya Davletova




My Dear Puppets vol.2
2024

This sculptural series extends the symbolic framework of My Dear Puppets vol.1, shifting the focus from full-bodied archetypes to concentrated psychological interfaces — the mask. Rooted in Jungian theories of the persona and inner multiplicity, the series externalizes five recurring figures: the Demon, the Warrior, the Mother, the Child, and the Wise Old Man. These archetypes — interpreted through hand-modeled clay and painted surfaces — materialize internal tensions between concealment and expression, fear and strength, vulnerability and resilience. 

Informed by theatrical traditions and the concept of mimesis, the masks recall both ritual performance and play. As Huizinga argues in Homo Ludens, play is not the opposite of seriousness, but a foundation of cultural expression. Within this logic, the act of wearing or confronting a mask becomes both a ludic gesture and a sincere vehicle for psychological inquiry.

Suspended between the sculptural and the performative, each work invites both contemplation and embodied interaction, destabilizing boundaries between subject and symbol, self and other. Created through tactile processes, these objects operate as both psychological portraits and ritual instruments, bridging personal mythology with material presence.Objects
Clay, acrylic, lacquer


1. Demon 29 x 19 x 8cm
2. Child 22 x 14 x 6cm
3. Mother 23 x 16 x 6cm
4. Warrior 28 x 16 x 6cm
5. Wise Old Man 27 x 16 x 6cm

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Photos: Young Curators Club Vienna 


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