I Love You More Than My Own Skin – Human melanin pigment on paper
During my study in SFAI, I experimented on countless materials and mediums. The goal is to bring life into my work by elaborating a biological material into my photograph. In 2017 I found a research paper that explains the process of the extraction of human melanin pigment. In 2018 I've successfully extracted human melanin pigment and embedded it on paper to produce this photograph.
Melanin is the pigment responsible for skin coloration in human. It is biologically inherited by every single one of us. Furthermore, the color of our skin has been historically tied to the issue of racism, slavery, and colonization - the thing that connects us to one another is also the same thing that divides us.
I believe that by understanding the cultural and metaphorical burden of this material, we can bring ourselves closer to the questions and values that we share with others. I want to invite people to a space where they can contemplate the complexity of human conflicts and relationships while keeping in mind that there is beauty in all of us.
