Colourism

Description

Almost everyone who’s seen this painting has tentatively asked me… “Is that sperm?” The answer is Yes! This painting is in fact a lot of sperm, each carrying different shades of black skin and different ethnic mixes that result in a veritable Pantone chart from the palest pink to the richest dark brown.

I was born in Trinidad & Tobago. In the Caribbean, there are so many names for the varying shades of black skin, that you’d be hard pressed to keep up. Not to mention, all those names vary a bit on each island and evolve over time! Then to add insult to injury, everyone’s definition of what these colourist terms mean is a little bit different. For example, over the course of my 26 years growing up in Trinidad, I have been called Reds, High Brown and Spanish Brown, each term referencing…

Read the full story here at Shades of Noir, which published it in 2018.

Click to read the full journal on Colourism by Shades of Noir. There are a variety of perspectives that definitely broadened my understanding of the concept. It’s an excellent read!