Masks make the man for devoted collector Rudi Corens

Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

He had gained a reputation as a director of plays in his native Belgium and later in Italy.

He had directed over 150 plays that were performed not only in Belgium and Italy, but also in Germany. He even had his own theater group in Venice, the Venezia 70 Street Theater.

Yet there was something missing from the life of Rudi Corens.

In 1979 he decided to make a big move, teaching Western drama at the Institute of Aesthetic Studies in Colombo.

"I needed a change. That was why I moved to Sri Lanka," Rudi, 68, told The Jakarta Post.

He remained in Sri Lanka and India until he came to Yogyakarta in 1990, lecturing in the same subject in the French Department of Gadjah Mada University's School of Literature.

"But I stopped lecturing about four years ago and I am now a counselor, mostly for developing various kinds of handicraft," said Corens, who is currently a consultant as well as handicraft designer at a local handicraft center, Rembulan Cantik Studio.

He became knowledgeable about masks through his work in theater, and it led to his becoming a collector.

"Through the drama I was connected to other drama cultures, including Chinese, which uses face painting and Japanese, which uses masks," Rudi said.

"The Ramakien (Thai version of Ramayana), for example, or Javanese Wayang Topeng cannot be performed without masks.

His love of masks has led him to spearhead an international mask exhibition and conference, currently on in Yogyakarta until Monday.

Rudi said that what was more intriguing for him was learning over time that a mask was not simply equipment for the theater or for festivities.

A mask could provide him with many pictures about human life, every emotion and every feeling.

"A mask is naturally static. It doesn't move like a human face. But, it always represents something," Rudi said.

Someone putting his hair in front of his face was the equivalent of wearing a mask, noted anthropologist Levi-Strauss.

Rudi said it was because when someone did so, others would not be able to recognize him. The act created a mystery to others, causing them to be alert, to be more careful, because they felt insecure.

"That's why some people often use masks to gain the courage to do something," he said.

In short, he said, masks were related to almost every aspect of human life. Funerals, rituals, medicine, religion, children and festivities all had something to do with masks, especially in ancient times.

"Even at present, we still use masks to express political messages," said Rudi, citing protesters who wear masks in street rallies.

"Masks have a very large impact indeed. Otherwise, Freud or Levi-Strauss or others would not have talked about them."

Rudi said that at present he had some 150 masks of various kinds in his collection, 120 of them ethnic. Others included theater masks, contemporary masks and masks made by noted artists. Anything related to masks -- including books, documentation, references about masks, or even stamps bearing mask images -- formed part of his collection.

"I like to collect ethnic masks because they are the closest to the people who used them," he said.

He is very selective about picking a mask for his collection.

"I won't buy a mask just because it is a mask. There are many masks that I won't buy. I always make an assessment before buying one."

Rudi, who has also resided in the Philippines and Thailand, finally feels at home.

"A home for me is a place where I feel happy. I'm happy in Asia, and most of all, here. So, this is my home now," he said.