The intersection of fashion and social justice often yields some of the most visually captivating and emotionally resonant art. In her groundbreaking photography project, The Coloured Girls, talented Australian photographer Lisa Minogue uses high-fashion portraiture to tackle deep-seated racial biases. The series combines striking visual aesthetics with intimate written testimonials from the models themselves. By asking her subjects what the phrase “Coloured Girl” means to them, Minogue creates a space where diverse women can reclaim their narratives and directly confront systemic inequalities within the modeling industry and broader society.
As subject Sasha Sarago beautifully encapsulates in the series, “Colours are beautiful, different and unique in their own right. Not one shade is the same. Each color holds special vibratory and spiritual qualities — just like people.” This sentiment serves as the creative backbone for Minogue’s entire exhibition.
The Creative Genesis of the Exhibition
The inspiration behind The Coloured Girls emerged from a disheartening conversation between Minogue and an exceptionally talented Black model. Despite receiving positive feedback regarding her unique look, the model faced rejection from several prominent talent agencies. The justification provided by one agency was particularly jarring: they claimed they “already had one of you” on their roster, explicitly referring to the single Black model they currently represented.
Stunned by the industry’s reduction of an entire continent’s diverse heritage into a singular monolithic aesthetic, Minogue felt compelled to take action. Recognizing that Africa comprises 54 distinct nations—each with its own rich tapestry of cultures, features, and complexions—the photographer set out to dismantle the narrow-minded standard that treats diversity as a token checkbox.
Artistry as an Antidote to Racism
To ensure that viewers truly engage with the individual identities of her subjects, Minogue utilizes a playful yet profound artistic technique. By painting the faces of the stunning models with distinct colors, she overtly accentuates their individuality. This visual choice subverts the historical practice of reducing people of color to a single, indistinguishable category. Instead, it forces the audience to slow down, study each face closely, and recognize the unique human being looking back at them.
Personal Testimonies from the Models
The true strength of the exhibition lies in the pairing of Minogue’s high-fashion imagery with the raw, unfiltered experiences of African Australian and multicultural women. Their personal stories reveal the subtle and overt ways racism manifests in daily life.
Navigating Microaggressions and Stereotypes
For many of the participants, growing up in a predominantly white society meant constantly being subjected to microaggressions. The models shared how their everyday interactions are frequently shaped by preconceived notions.
- Brtukan: “Being a girl of colour in a society where the majority of the people are white, I have had to get used to all the different ways people approach me. From being asked what kind of rap music you listen to and how you wash your hair, to getting told, ‘you don’t sound black’, ‘you’re pretty for a black girl’ or ‘you’re not that black so it’s OK’, as if being black is such a bad thing.”
- Ayah: “When I was at primary school, all these kids would touch my hair and rub my skin to see if the colour would come off. I would think, ‘It’s just skin… what do you expect?'”
- Missi: “Being black in Australia means a complete disregard for the right to one’s personal space, having strangers come up to you and touch your hair, swooning over this month’s hairstyle. Being black in Australia means you are never born a white canvas; instead you are marked with the stereotypes of a black person – people assume you are into hip-hop, play basketball or can sing.”
Media Representation and Reclaiming Heritage
Other subjects focused on the damaging beauty standards perpetuated by mainstream media and the vital importance of ancestral pride.
- Atong: “Why make it harder for me to stay true to my culture and love my skin colour? Why take my culture, yet not me? Why make my sisters so weak that they feel they have to bleach their skin colour to belong and be accepted by the mainstream?… If [racism] was not the reason, why only show in the media that in order to be beautiful you need to be white?”
- Achan: “The ‘colour’ of my skin is the root of my history, my ancestors and most importantly my future. I will not let the pigments of my skin define me, however, and I will not let it be defined by others.”
- Liberty: “I am proud to be black. When stereotypes arise, I remind myself that way up the family tree I am connected to a long line of strong and powerful independent black women.”
- Nehanda: “I now choose to embody the resilience, pride and grace of my ancestors. I now know they were born free, advanced and civilised before colonisation and slavery. I will no longer choose to see my coloured brothers and sisters as anything less than exceptional human beings who have had to overcome a system of oppression that has tried in all its might, for many generations, to wash out all colour in this world.”
About the Photographer and The Social Studio
Lisa Minogue is a professional photographer who specializes in capturing, supporting, and promoting multicultural and African Australian talent. Her dedication to fostering inclusivity extends far beyond the studio walls. In 2012, Minogue began volunteering her time at The Social Studio, a dynamic fashion label, retail shop, and community cafe located on Smith Street in Collingwood, Australia.
The Social Studio operates as a safe space that celebrates the distinct styles, skills, and diverse cultural backgrounds of Australia’s multicultural population. Minogue’s artistic collaboration with the organization includes capturing a significant portion of the photography featured in the studio’s May 2015 coffee table book. She also continues to regularly photograph the imagery for their fashion collections.
Through projects like The Coloured Girls, Minogue and her subjects intend to spark vital community dialogues, foster cultural education, and contribute to healing the deep societal scars left behind by discrimination and prejudice. As Achan profoundly remarks in her written piece, “The color of our skin should not be the cause of our separation as people of the world.”
References
- Minogue, L. (2016). The Coloured Girls photo series and exhibition. Official website: liberationimages.com.
- The Social Studio. (2015). May 2015 Coffee Table Book. Collingwood, Australia.