Art Africa Sessions #2: Polly Richards - Dogon Masks in Motion

Drawing on her recent publication, Dogon Masks in Motion (2022), Dr Polly Richards considers how Dogon culture in Mali has assimilated both tradition and modernity into the aesthetic of its numerous art forms. In a challenge to depictions of an unchanging society in Africa, she highlights the performative experience of Dogon masquerade as a living and dynamic tradition that continues to evolve at the turn of the 21st century.

Polly Richards was awarded a PhD at SOAS in 2003 for her research on Dogon Masquerade from 1994-2000. She was initiated into the Dogon mask society as a yasiginè (sister of the masks) in 2000. She worked initially as a theatre designer, and for the past 20 years in the museums and heritage sector, as an Interpretation and Masterplanning consultant.