Philip Nicotra
To preface my mask’s explanation, I would like to give Ms. French kudos on picking a fun, scary looking blank mask to start off with. My sister and I scared my mom on camera with it, LOL. Anyways, I split my mask into two hemispheres. One being the Eddie Van Halen Frankenstrat design, the other being the Italian flag. In the top-left, I have the five golden stars of the flag of China. On the right cheek relative to the viewer I have a lightning bolt. On the left cheek, a rose. The Frankenstrat design and the Italian flag is split by a stretch of road, viewed from the top-down. The references to the flags of China and Italy represent my identity based on heritage, and they are separate to illustrate the divide I feel. I have, in the past, struggled with my identity because from appearances, one may not expect me to be any of the particular nationalities that make me me. The Frankenstrat design represents my pursuit of a guitarist, and how the tragic passing of Eddie Van Halen inspired me to work even harder on honing my skills with my instrument. The lightning bolt represents the career path I choose: electrical engineering. The rose represents the relationship I cherish with my significant other, and how that love made a mark on me. The road running laterally along the mask represents my dive into adulthood. Whenever I am driving, I always question how I am already eighteen years of age, a legal adult.
