In My Skin is the culmination of a yearlong community art collaboration with Ana Teresa Fernandez. The project began with workshops wherein high school students learned how to create skin tones using primary colors. Their color theory skills were shared with over 400 students in Grades K-4 and other members of the community. In exploring the somatic image of race, each student was invited to experience the physicality of their skin tone through the process of mixing colors and painting tiles. High School students continued to work to fabricate and install the work of art intended to offer a place of reflection and contemplation as it activates the Pine-Octavia campus stairwell.
Viewers are invited to engage with the work from multiple vantage points, creating a dynamic and interactive experience intended to reflect the perpetual growth and changes that invigorates the Convent & Stuart Hall community.
“She’s very bold, and she inspires groups of people like women and minorities to be themselves and embrace themselves”. –Finley Simon
“She gave us a bit of background about this project, how the Zora Neale Hurston essay inspired her…It was really cool because she told us that little kids tend to paint their skin tones in a more realistic way. They don’t overthink it–they just follow what their heart tells them.” –Sofia Kaslava
From the beginning of our collaboration, Ana Teresa shared her initial inspiration for her on going In My Skin series and explained the connection between this project and essay from Nora Zeale Hurston, ‘How It Feels to Be Colored Me’. The intention of this project is to show the variation that exists within everyone’s skin tone and the process that it takes to mix and achieve that tone; all beginning with the primary colors. We hope that this project endlessly sparks conversation and instills deeper learning and thinking among each individual that engages with the installation.
“What I love about doing this project, especially at a school is seeing the range of artistry within all those groups coming from age 5 to 17.” -Ana Teresa Fernandez
“I wanted to get involved because I met Ana Teresa before and I was familiar with her work…I think that this project in particular is really impactful because it brings our community together. It’s a reflection of who we are and all of the unique individuals that bring life to our community.” –Devon Carlson, High School Art Representative
