Shades of Yellow

Misia O', Different Shades of Yellow, Black Gold, 2020, © Misia O'.

Photographer Misia-O ’presents a nuanced study of the four colors supposed to cover the color palette of human skin: black, yellow, red and white. Between scientific considerations and anthropological observations, her portraits magnify human diversity.

The “Different Shades of” photographic project is presented in four series, each devoted to one color. Misia-O ’approach combines a scientific and anthropological study of the subject. Colors are initially only the perception of light by our retina. However, over the centuries they have taken on particular meanings and connotations within different human societies.

Misia O', Different Shades of Black, Ribon, 2019, © Misia O'.

If the artist restricts her study to black, yellow, red and white, it is because these colors have been used to describe, in a simplified way, the chromatic palette of human skin. In modern times, racialist theories have erected them to differentiate Europeans, Africans, Asians and Native Americans.

In the series "Different Shades of Black", Misia-O "photographed a woman with black skin against backgrounds of red or blue. She also used a bluish light to compliment her model's skin color. The “Different Shades of Yellow” series magnifies a woman with Asian features, against a background of more or less light yellow tones.

In both series, the women are portrayed from several angles: front, back and profile. In profile shots, the uniformly black silhouette set against a monochrome background emphasizes the unique features of the faces. Fascinated by the multiplicity of the human species, Misia-O ’celebrates the beauty of differences and denounces color prejudice.