Hannya- ada paunescu

Ada Paunescu is a visual artist from Romania based in Northampton, England, exploring themes around the feminine and female rage. Her visual style combines elements of photography, digital manipulation, and other techniques to produce these vibrant self portraits, representing different sides of her inner world. images of rope bondage, demon masks and ghostly presences under a coat of neon make up the imagery of The Hannya series.

Hannya is a mask used in Japanese Noh theatre, representing anger, jealous and resentful female characters. Ada adorns the mask throughout the series almost jeering at the audience, embracing what the mask represents whilst simultanously subverting it into her own source of strength and power.