wildscape. literary journal

Title: False Face of Twisted Curses // Artist: Jym Davis

about the piece

My artwork, The False Face of Twisted Curses, was inspired by ancient Gaelic curses, which I transcribed and ‘twisted’ into a paper mache mask. One example of a twisted curse is ‘Go N-ithe an tochas thú!‘ (May you be eaten by an awful itch!), and another is Go n-ithe an cat thú is go n-ithe an diabhal an cat (May the cat eat you, and may the devil eat the cat). The creation of these masks is a response to the frustration I feel about the current state of the United States government and the erosion of democracy. The curses are intentionally ‘hidden’ within the mask, symbolizing the pervasive wave of censorship we’re facing today. In a time of chaos and uncertainty, humor and art are my outlet.

about the artist // Jym Davis

Jym Davis (who goes by the name FALSE FACE) is an artist and storyteller, whose work explores themes of conservation, folklore, and the surreal. He currently serves as the Endowed Chair of the Art Department at Reinhardt University. Davis has also been awarded five National Park Artist-In-Residence positions since 2016, completing residencies at sites such as Big Cypress Preserve in Florida and Lassen Volcanic National Park in California. His work from these experiences has been featured by the National Endowment for the Arts. In addition to his exhibitions, Davis has contributed to major film and video projects, bringing his distinctive Beyond galleries, his alter-ego Instagram account, FALSE FACE, has attracted 421,000 followers.

Instagram: @jymdavis
Website