Zati Masks
Zati
is an Urdu word meaning "from the inside out" or "the spirit inside". Fiber
artist Susan Barrett Merrill has been creating these masks for many years. The
faces are woven flat with hand-spun wool. Facial features are created in the
weave, using weft-wedging and other techniques, and sculpted into
three-dimensional masks. The faces are then felted onto headdresses using soft
Merino wool. Each mask is unique.
We are fortunate to have Susan as an exhibitor and demonstrator this year at the Fair. There is no other way to describe her work other than incredible. The faces of these mask are all woven and the headpieces are felted.
Susan also runs Weaving a Life Workshops. You can find more information at:
www.zatimask.com and www.weavingalife.com
Having the opportunity to witness her amazing talent is reason enough for a trip to the Fiber Center at the fair……….simply wonderful!!

such an amazing yet unusual artist … I like the connection of weaving artwork and weaving a life.
LikeLike
These are VERY cool masks! Incredible talent and thinking outside the box to make a flat woven turn into 3D spirits…
LikeLike
Wow….those masks are incredible. Thanks for sharing the pictures with us. I am kicking my self for not trying to make it to the Fair.
LikeLike
A true artist with wool.
LikeLike
Amazing and delightful! The talent of fiber folk continues to impress and astonish me!
LikeLike
Ya gotta love the mind that comes up with that! Thanks for taking the time to share with us.
LikeLike
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful site! How beautiful and meaningful those masks are! It’s so wonderful to open our eyes to all the different things- we can learn so much from our fellow bloggers!
LikeLike