Masks – Kuboraum

accessories / eyewear / gender-free

Kuboraum was born in an old post office building on the border of East and West Berlin. There, in 2012, the creative environment of Berlin merged with the Italian artisanal tradition and the Kuboraum project was established. Creating eyewear, dreamed in Berlin, handmade in Italy.

Kuboraum is about making masks, encompassing all that they represent. Not the face masks to cover nose and mouth we are becoming used to. Kuboraum creates masks to present the dynamic identities of the person behind them. Masks to free oneself from fixed public perceptions and to experience the power of personality.

Every culture has its own tales of masked characters. In these stories the masks able them to posses and express certain powers or qualities their environments are unable, usually unwilling, to grant them. What unfolds is a strategic game of concealing and revealing, creating a narrative which can be innocent, unsettling, romantic, comical or anarchistic. Italy is historically known for its Carnival and other storied masqueraded events full of intriguing personas teasing each other through their unique masks. In these settings masks offered everyone the opportunity to celebrate together, regardless of the status, character or popularity of the person behind it. People of lower decent could participate and celebrate as equals with wealthier citizens. It enabled them to express and impress beyond judgments or consequences, as they were at liberty to decide how they desired to present themselves. While this aspect of masks was liberating for many it was threatening to others, resulting in the imposition of laws specific to mask-wearing. Restrictions on the ability to wear a mask were made, as people were frightened of those making their own rules by choosing their own mask.

Kuboraum combines unusual shapes and finishes, crafted by Italian artisans using premium Italian materials. The production of their masks is made climate neutral by supporting Plant For The Planet, an initiative born from a nine-year old boy’s vision and grown into a worldwide movement.