Sofia Stark

Quarantine by Design

The reality today is face masks are our new normal. By incorporating masks into everyday life we are doing our part in keeping others safe, and adding a fashion accessory in place of the sterile surgical mask. Through this series of oil paintings, I explore mask-wearing as fashionable self-expression and the importance of routine in daily life during the Covid-19 era. At the onset of the pandemic, living exclusively in jersey and fleece was liberating, but at a certain point only wearing sweatpants and no makeup didn’t feel good anymore. In returning to a routine and ritual of self-care, the gloom of living in a pandemic begins to fade a bit. With Quarantine by Design, I wanted to immortalize this idiosyncratic moment in time and portray mask-wearing as the work of art it can be.