Saya Yakovleva, an Indigenous Sakha Artist from the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Siberia, Russia
A lot of her work is based on or inspired by native Siberian folk masks and decorations. In the first and fourth picture the design is based on the traditional Sakha/Yakut bridal mask known as an Annakh (Аннах):
"Annakh is a [a traditional face covering or head covering] from the wedding attire of a Yakut bride in archaic times (before the 17th-18th centuries). The material from which the annakh was sewn depended on the wealth of the bride's parents. In the richest family, ankhs were sewn from sable skin, in a poor one - from lynx, in a poorer one - from beaver, in the poorest one - from mare's rags. There were bedspreads made of rovduga (suede from deer or elk skin) and hair net. The rich had decoratively decorated bedspreads, even the slits were trimmed with beads. Annakh is a kind of amulet of the bride [protecting her from harm] and the evil eye of people from a opposing family. It is also the main attribute in other wedding ceremonies (for example, when meeting the groom's parents, the daughter-in-law's face must be covered with an annakh)." - Saya Yakovleva
