Pittsburgh photographer embarks on project to discover who's 'Behind the Mask'

Widespread mask mandates are meant to slow the spread of covid-19. But they’re also stopping the spread of smiles.

To remind people that behind every mask is a person with a story — and a smile — Pittsburgh-based photographer Beth Kukucka launched a photography project titled “Behind the Mask.”

The concept is simple. Kukucka takes two photos of each participant: one with the mask, one without. In a video, she shows first the photo with the mask, then the mask-free photo, revealing the smiles hidden behind the masks.

She asks participants a single question: Who are you behind the mask?

She’s looking for more participants. Kukucka, who lives in Penn Hills, said she’ll meet participants at their house or another location of their choosing.

“I want to know, genuinely,” Kukucka said. “It’s an opportunity to get to know people a little better. It’s a chance for us to be a little kinder and friendlier with each other.”

Her inspiration for the project was the realization that she couldn’t smile at strangers while donning a mask.

“I was in a grocery store and I saw a family with kids and they were so cute and I was smiling at them,” she said. “I had the awareness that they couldn’t see my smile anymore. It just made me want to remind us that there are people behind the mask and we smile.”

Since that realization, Kukucka, whose professional event and portrait photography business has slowed during the pandemic, has embarked on a journey to discover the people behind as many masks as possible.

“I’m looking for really diverse people,” she said. She found some participants through her social media channels. Others she found by simply driving around until she found someone who struck her as interesting.

So far, she said, she’s had a good response. She said she’s gaining insight into different perspectives as she photographs unique individuals.

“I felt a tenderness toward them,” she said. “There isn’t any judgment.”

Kukucka hopes this project will help others through these challenging times.

“My hope is that we remember that not only is there a face behind the mask, but there’s a story. There’s an emotional story. I hope people are not only more comfortable sharing, but also can relate to it,” she said.

Kukucka has compiled the responses she’s received into a video. She’s hoping to expand the video, and possibly publish a book.

For more information or to contact Kukucka about participating in the project, visit her website.