The beauty of human skin in every color | Angélica Dass

Summary

The video follows photographer Angélica Dass as she reflects on how skin color shaped her life—both within her multiracial family (where “color was never important”) and in society (where she was repeatedly misclassified and excluded). Her experiences of being treated differently—at school, in public spaces, and even when traveling—lead her to create Humanae, a long-term photographic project that challenges racist color categories and stereotypes.

Dass describes Humanae as a “pursuit” to emphasize real human diversity (“true colors”) rather than simplified racial labels (“white, red, black, yellow”). The work grows from her personal story into a global one through open calls and wide public exposure, eventually reaching museums, exhibitions, and public street installations that spark community debate.

She explains that the portraits—made with a controlled, color-matched process—help viewers and participants question how labels form and whether identity should be determined by appearance, origin, or lived experience. Dass also highlights practical impacts: responses from families and individuals, educational use by teachers, references by illustrators and students, and academic/scientific interest in fields like anthropology and neuroscience.

Finally, she notes the continued need to combat discrimination and positions photography as a tool for communication, healing, and self-acceptance.

Artistic techniques / creative process shown

Photographic and color-matching method (Humanae)

• Use a white background for the portraits.
• Sample a skin color from the subject:
  • She selects an 11-pixel square from the nose.
• Translate the sampled color to an industrial reference:
  • She matches that color to a Pantone color.
• Paint the background accordingly to correspond to the subject’s color information.
• Portray a wide range of people (across countries, ages, identities, health conditions, and backgrounds) to build a collective archive.

Project-building approach

• Start with family and friends, then expand through public calls via social media.
• Focus on an open, internet-first dissemination model to encourage sharing and participation.
• Present work across digital and physical formats:
  • exhibitions, galleries, museums, and public street placements.

Educational and research-oriented presentation

• Use the portraits as a teaching and discussion tool in classrooms (especially through teachers).
• Engage creators/students and researchers who use the images for reference and analysis.

Featured creators or contributors (mentioned)

• Angélica Dass (main creator and presenter)
• Martin Luther King (referenced through “I Have A Dream”)
• Pantone (used as the color palette/matching system)
• UNESCO (mentioned via location/exhibition context: UNESCO Headquarters)
• Foreign Affairs (mentioned as the publication that selected Humanae as a cover)
• Forbes (mentioned as an example of one of the featured people’s inclusion)
• Teachers (described as ambassadors who use Humanae educationally; no specific names given)
• Researchers in anthropology, physics, and neuroscience (mentioned as users; no specific names given)