Unmasking the Pandemic: From Personal Protection to Personal Expression: An exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum

During the 2020 pandemic lockdown, three curators at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) began documenting and collecting non-medical face masks from around the world. Working virtually from their homes in Toronto, Canada, they assembled over 300 masks from across 23 countries, recording stories of making, makers and cultural meaning. Their rapid response collection culminated in a year-long free exhibition, Unmasking the Pandemic: From Personal Protection to Personal Expression (September 2021–September 2022), which presented over one hundred original masks, many handmade, grouped under four themes: ‘Poetry and Protest’; ‘Heroes and Warriors’; ‘Survival and Strength’ and ‘Artistry and Innovation’. This article presents highlights of the exhibition, drawing attention to the exquisite artistry, innovative designs and powerful messaging behind the masks which reflected their makers’ stories of resilience, cultural identity and collective humanity in the face of a global crisis.