It's more diabolical for one to plot alone than to conspire with others, where one is vulnerable to betrayal. Then again, everyone is one's own worse enemy. Hero or villain, it all depends on the character of the wearer. In the end, the most Machiavellian will get all the spoils. Wearing mask conceals one's intention though in ritual dances, the persona of the mask worn would manifest the seance drama until it's over. Yusof Ghani's Topeng started innocuously enough after a group trip with students to Sarawak, where he was fascinated by the masks of the Kayan and the Kenyah tribes. It got more grotesque visages after a visit to South Africa in 1994.