Angelica Dass – Beauty of Human Skin in Every Colour

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I have just watched the inspiring Ted Talk, The Beauty of Human Skin in Every Color given by Angelica Dass a Brazilian Photographer.  The ‘Humanae’ project began as a small family album that included relatives, friends and neighbours.  The project now includes portraits of over 3000 people from 24 cities spanning 15 countries.  She states that the “Colour of our skin gives a lasting impression.”

The essence of the project is to find the differences and similarities between human beings.

“That there is only one race it is the human race.”

Angelica Dass

In describing her family, she says that it was “full of colour.”

“My mother is a cinnamon skin with a pinch of hazel and honey. My Grandfather was somewhere between strawberry and yoghurt tone.”  Her work challenges the assumptions and language we use when describing race as; white, black, red, or yellow.

The technique that she uses is that her subject is portrayed against a white background, then by changing the background, will find the corresponding Pantone.  Pantone has worked as a neutral palette that does not have the numerical hierarchy from light to dark that other colour coding systems possess.

The Humane project lives on the internet and changes over time.  Her beautiful photography makes us think about how we see each other, literally. Humanae has a global impact, and the message is amplified when people assign their portraits as a Facebook Profile or is read by millions in Tumblr.  The work is often shown to the public when displayed in public spaces in addition to the regular museum exhibitions.

This blog is written with the assistance of  Grammarly.

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More About Angélica Dass

Angélica Dass

Photographer Angélica Dass captures some of humanity’s truest colors through her portrait project Humanae, a catalogue of human skin color displayed as a simple, captivating collage of Pantone portraits that reflects the deepest shades of brown and black, to the lighter tones of white, pink and everything in between.

About – Angélica Dass

Activator more than activist. “I understand photography as a dialogue from personal to global; like a game in which the personal and social codes are put at stake to be reinvented, a continuous flow between the photographer and the photographed, a bridge between masks and identities.

Iittala Birds of Toikka glass birds arranged outdoors showcasing colourful Finnish glass design icons

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