Alex Guarriello
Masks of Mischief, 2026
Cardboard, paper mache, acrylic paint, aluminum foil, elastic string, black mesh, battery-powered lights
I came to this idea after hearing about the concept of Electric's Halloween theming would be based on vintage iconography. This put one thing in my mind, those cheap and old costumes many children wore, especially the plastic masks. Naturally, I came up with the idea of possessed masks with glowing eyes. When designing these masks, I mostly modeled them off of the masks produced by the Ben Cooper company, as they were a well known company and a staple throughout the later 1900’s era. Afterwards, I printed the concepts to scale to create a base for me to shape the physical props with cardboard and foil. Next, I used paper mache to cover up the face and complete the base before painting each mask with paint based on my concepts. I finally attached black mesh to the back of the mask and the lights behind that, and put on the elastic string and a method to string up both the lights and sting on the wall.
About:
My name is Alex Guarriello, I am a junior student majoring in studio art sculpture at the University of North Texas. I have done over a dozen previous projects in both sculpture and metalsmithing and sculpture, where I have learned how to use a variety of materials like metals, foam, papers, cardboard, clay, and 3d prints. My work usually revolves around both the natural and supernatural, mixing familiar forms with some of the fantastical; all tied to the concepts of wonder and curiosity.