“FLESHY PINKS” (2024)
***Positive antiracist white identity is language that we use in AWARE-LA, and it was developed in community by those before me and around me. Here is AWARE-LA’s foundational article for the concepts I discuss here. More broadly, this lens comes out of a rich history of multiracial, antiracist work. I have applied this knowledge to my work, but I did not originate the ideas.
***I made my first painting on this topic in 2020. See it here.
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“For some time, I’ve been playing with ways to cultivate the overlap between my two lanes of work. Making art, and helping other white people develop positive, antiracist white identity (for the sake of collective equity and justice). I am excited for these new paintings to (hopefully!) live in that space.
I lifted the term “Fleshy Pinks” from a museum description of a Degas painting. I am using the term to reference the reverence for white skin / “flesh-tone” in classical painting, which is one of the traditions I was trained in. I am using the “flesh-tone” palettes that were taught to me in art school, but within - as parts of - my improvisational landscapes.
My hope for these paintings is that they are an invitation to conversation (for white people in particular) - a naming of something unspoken - but that they are also beautiful, celebratory & alive. That they might open the door of curiosity and inquiry, but that they can also stand alone beyond language.”
For anyone interested in learning more about why positive antiracist identity is important for white people, and thereby for collective organizing as a whole, here are some additional ways that you can learn with me & others:
I sometimes discuss these concepts on Instagram, including in this recent post on the concept of empathy & antiracist white identity.
I help facilitate (and would highly recommend) AWARE-LA’s Unmasking Whiteness Institute. It is a 4-day program (in person in Los Angeles during the summer, online during the winter) that helps white people with personal transformation around race. This is an essential component of an antiracist path; it lets us stand up for racial justice in authentic and sustainable ways. You can also check out these excellent readings to learn more.
WhiteAwake.org is another great resource. They host workshops & classes, and they have helpful articles on their site.
Edited on November 2nd, 2024