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Adriana Varejao’s title, “Polvo,” translates to octopus ink made of the pigment melanin, which also darkens the skin. The octopus changes color to camouflage for survival. Varejao’s self-portraits acknowledge a history of “casta painting” in Brazil, which sought to identify people of mixed race. In this series, Adriana Varejao employs the language generated from a 1976 Brazilian census asking citizens to define the color of their skin, which yielded 136 different descriptions. Building color wheels and even her own tubes of 33 skin tone paints named according to the census list, Adriana Varejao explores the construction of identity through language shaped by and used to propagate colonial ideologies.
Click on the images in the below gallery’s to view large photos.
Skin Tone Color Wheel Paintings
Skin Tone Paint Tubes
Agalegada – Galician Fair
Azul Marinho – Blue Black
Bahiano – Boy From Baha
Branca – Melanin
Branca Suja – Smudgy White
Branquinha – Snow White
Bugresinha Escura – Dark Native
Burro-Quando-Foge – Faded Fawn
Cabocla – Half Breed
Cafe Com Leite – Milky Coffee
Chocolate – Chocolat
Cor De Cuia – Gourd Colored
Cor Firme – Steady Color
Encerada – Buffed
Enxofrada – Angry Sulphur
Escurinha – Dark and Dear
Fogoio – Fox on Fire Red
Meio Preta – Half Black
Mestica – Half Caste
Morena Bem Chegar – Brown Welcomes Black
Morenao – Big Black Dude
Moren-Jambo – Fruity Brown
Mulatinha – Sweet Mulatto Miss
Palida – Pale
Parda Clara – A Light Mix
Parda Morena – A Brown Mix
Polaca – Polack
Pouco Clara – Not So White
Puxa Para Branca – Tending to White
Queimada De Sol – Sun Kissed
Retinta – Inky
Sapecada – Flirting with Freckles
Turva – Muddy
Adriana Varejao’s Self portraits with various flesh tones added
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I liked the skin tone circles, as well as the names.