Studies, Abel’s Mask

Staged 2018, The Weeknd Coachella Festival, Indio, California, USA

“Abel’s parents emigrated from Ethiopia to Toronto before he was born. For this 2018 Coachella performance, we researched together the linear, scarred inscriptions on Ethiopian masks. We incorporated them into a 3D scan of Abel’s head.”

—Es Devlin

A model of musician Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye’s head made in a white material faces right and sits on a white surface.
Es Devlin, Study model, Abel’s Mask, 3D-printed plaster.
Staged 2018, The Weeknd Coachella Festival, Indio, California, USA
Courtesy of Es Devlin
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A large model of a hand and face are bathed in red light and surrounded by fog, foregrounded by a silhouette of a crowd of people.
Production photograph, Abel’s Mask
Staged 2018, The Weeknd Coachella Festival, Indio, California, USA
Courtesy of Es Devlin
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A large model of a hand and a face are bathed in blue light in front of a blue and white twinkling background. Silhouettes of two people in front of the hand and face appear much smaller.
Production photograph, Abel’s Mask
Staged 2018, The Weeknd Coachella Festival, Indio, California, USA
Courtesy of Es Devlin
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A clear case mounted to a white wall contains a series of papers with drawings and notes as well as a paper airplane and the mask of a human face.
Es Devlin, Studies, Legend of the Fall, After Hours Til Dawn, and Abel’s Mask
Photo: Elliot Goldstein © Smithsonian Institution
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Several objects pinned to a wall: papers with drawings of a face, a translucent cylindrical object, and a sculpture of a face made in a white material.
Es Devlin, Studies, Abel’s Mask, Graphite on tracing paper and plaster.
Staged 2018, The Weeknd Coachella Festival, Indio, California, USA
Photo: Elliot Goldstein © Smithsonian Institution
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Contour drawing of a face, facing the viewer, with vertical lines throughout.
Es Devlin, Study, Abel’s Mask, Graphite on tracing paper.
Staged 2018, The Weeknd Coachella Festival, Indio, California, USA
Courtesy of Es Devlin
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Contour drawing of a face in profile with vertical lines throughout.
Es Devlin, Study, Abel’s Mask, Graphite on tracing paper.
Staged 2018, The Weeknd Coachella Festival, Indio, California, USA
Courtesy of Es Devlin
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