Torres Strait masks to be introduced in Vietnam for first time

The two-month-long exhibition at Hanoi’s Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is part of activities celebrating the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Representatives from the Embassy, the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology and other cultural institutions will attend the opening ceremony which will take place on May 18, according to the Australian Embassy.

Torres Strait is a network of islands located between Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea.  The people of this area maintain vibrant artistic, spiritual and cultural traditions.

The making and wearing of beautifully decorated masks is one of the region’s most distinctive traditions. While rooted in ancient protocols and spirituality, masks and mask making today are celebrated as expressions of artistic and cultural revival.