Paper Bag Test (2003-) is an interdisciplinary installation combining ink drawings, paintings, and a two-channel documentary-style video that investigates the global impact of colorism. The work explores how skin tone shapes identity, social acceptance, and privilege through personal stories and cultural symbols. The installation transforms the space into a "laboratory of color," featuring identification cards, chromatic charts, paintings, and swatches. A voice announces the status of each shade as it flashes on a monitor, exposing the hidden hierarchies tied to skin tone. These elements unveil unspoken "color codes" that dictate belonging and perpetuate discrimination within societies.

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While rooted in the African Diaspora, the project highlights a phenomenon transcending borders. Across cultures influenced by colonialism and imperialism—including Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia—lighter skin often confers privilege, while darker skin faces marginalization. Practices like the "paper bag test," once used to determine social acceptance based on skin tone, echo in caste systems, beauty standards, and social hierarchies around the world. The project critiques the media's role in reinforcing stereotypes that assign value and identity based on color, creating rigid expectations for people of color and perpetuating systemic inequities.

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Paper Bag Test fosters a critical dialogue on the enduring social and political implications of colorism, urging viewers to confront its global reach and reflect on their own perceptions. By examining these dynamics, the work seeks to dismantle prejudice and inspire a reimagining of a more equitable future.

 

Material: screen print, rabbit skin glue, synthetic water-soluble polyvinyl acetate emulsion, dry pigment, egg tempera, encaustic, and oil paint on canvas and wood panels.