Mask of a Demon

Again, this is part of the Khon Exhibition. Today, this is a mask of a Demon god called Viruljumbung.
The Eastern cultures often display images of spirits, demons or fantastic animals, as they represent extraterrestrial forces that are awe-inspiring.
Most Asians believe in a parallel world inhabited by good and evil spirits. The idea is to befriend good-spirited forces and get rid of evil ones.
This is so strongly rooted in minds that it influences all forms of Asian arts from architecture to symbolic images and even pervades human behaviors.
Asians live in a world of spirals and volutes. Westerners live in a linear world full of geometrical forms. On one side, you have the perfect image of a Greek Temple. On the other side, you have the rounded shape of the stupa.
This is a key to grasp the essence of these two forms of arts, and also to understand mentalities.