Máscaras

Bubo Caligo

Half owl, half butterfly, half plant — Bubo Caligo is a chimera, a mystical entity that emerged from years of teaching, close observation of the natural world, and a genuine fascination with its more obscure corners. Inspired by the work of Remedios Varo and by the logic of natural mimicry, this piece is a hybrid creature: an owl wearing a butterfly mask. The form reflects the way certain butterfly species carry owl-eye patterns on their wings — here the relationship is inverted, so that the owl becomes the one wearing the mask. The eyes are simultaneously insect eyes and the nucleus of a flower, from which petals radiate outward mimicking owl markings on butterfly wings. A skull sits at the centre of the forehead — a quiet reminder not to meddle with forces you cannot contain. The mask houses two distinct acoustic systems: a globular flute capable of melodic playing at mid-range tones, able to reproduce the call of an owl; and three primitive whistles concealed within the flower that opens at the third eye, producing a high, eagle-like scream — a trisonic chord that evokes the world of plants, insects, and things that move at night.

Year

2026

Type

Sonic mask

Materials

Saggar clay, metallic glazes

Technique

Slab and pinching; advanced bevel-and-window system

Firing

Electric kiln, 1250 °C

Dimensions

30 × 33.5 × 15 cm

Location

China