For Alejandro Pasquale, the mask is a symbol of escape: a liberation that enables a detachment from reality into a timeless space of one’s own imagination. This experience of escape is depicted in an idealised form of nature. His paintings are inspired by rituals and the use of ancient medicinal plants native to South America. The viewer is privy to the eyes of the otherwise masked characters. There is a meditative state suggested by the eyes, mesmerised by unknown beauty, or closed as if dreaming. The figures remain still, standing in neutral poses, ensuring the viewer has little insight into the emotional state of the depicted figure.