Colorism Vanitas, 2023, Inkjet print, 17 x 22 inches

This photography series, Colorism Vanitas, consists of vanitas still life photographs tackling the issue of colorism in Jamaica and racism in the US. The vanitas painting style originated among the Dutch— the first Europeans to participate in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Through my thought-provoking imagery, I address themes of slavery, racism, colonialism, and skin-lightening. Incorporated are symbols from vanitas paintings, such as wilting flowers, to create a dialogue on the inevitability of death and the harmful effects of skin-lightening on one's health.

The use of a baroque lighting style and muted tones of browns, reds, oranges, yellows, and blues creates a striking contrast in the images. The background was made from bleached and stained brown paper with compositions of skin-lightening products in jars and tubes, along with wilting flowers. The brown paper refers to the brown paper bag test done within US Black communities during the 20th century as a form of discrimination against darker-skinned persons within the Black community.

These still life photographs begin with a clutter of objects alluding to racism, slavery, and colorism within an antique frame. The composition discusses how all these elements relate to each other and the framework through which Europeans consider themselves the ‘superior race’ while controlling the black community. As the portfolio progresses, it transitions into more intimate photographs of skin-lightening products, featuring dried or artificial flowers. These intimate scenes focus on the detrimental effects of skin lightening or skin bleaching as a potential cause of skin cancer.