The Universal Palette: Materializing Human Equality
At the core of In My Skin is a chromatic distillation that demystifies racial difference through color theory, optics, and pigmentary science. From a physiological perspective, all human skin pigmentation is primarily determined by melanin (eumelanin for brown/black tones and pheomelanin for red/yellow tones), hemoglobin, and carotene. In color theory terms, this biological spectrum translates into a complex interplay of hue, value, and chroma. By restricting the materials to five universal colors—blue, green, yellow, red, and white—Fernández establishes a precise subtractive color mixing framework. Red and yellow provide the foundational warm undertones and pheomelanin base; white adjusts the lightness (value) across the complexional spectrum; and green and blue act as critical complementary undertones, neutralizing excess saturation (chroma) to reproduce the muted, cool, or olive depths created by venous blood flow and cellular absorption. Regardless of how dark or light an individual’s complexion appears, every participant utilizes these exact same fundamental components. This shared constraint functions as a material equalizer, demonstrating that complex human diversity stems not from disparate elements, but from subtle calibrations of the same origin. The process requires sensory engagement and close self-observation, prompting what Fernández describes as “epiphanies while making”. Participants move from initial skepticism to direct realization, experiencing firsthand the shared chromatic foundation of human identity.
Pedagogy of Awareness, Access, and Action
Central to Fernández’s methodology is a pedagogical continuum structured around awareness, access, and action, which together function as a catalyst for community agency. Awareness begins at the mixing table, where participants cultivate a heightened perceptual consciousness regarding the nuances of color and human commonality. Access expands this critical consciousness by dismantling institutional barriers to artistic production, extending creative tools to underrepresented populations who are traditionally excluded from public discourse. Finally, action materializes as these individual reflections are synthesized into monumental public works, asserting the community’s presence in shared civic space. Through this triadic framework, In My Skin redefines social practice not merely as an aesthetic exercise, but as an empowering instrument for self-advocacy and collective transformation.