Jayliah Jada van Gorkum
/Self-taught/
Melanin Shoot celebrates the beauty inherent in all shades of skin, highlighting the rich and diverse spectrum from the darkest ebony to the lightest caramel. This visual affirmation celebrates the empowerment of women of color. Van Gorkum intends to expand the project with more models, with a particular focus on increasing dark-skinned representation to challenge the stigma of colorism. Furthermore she aspires to use the photo-series as the basis for a theatre production, either in the form of a monologue or a dialogue.
Jayliah Jada van Gorkum is a 26-year-old performance artist based in Amsterdam. Born in Haiti and adopted at the age of three, her work explores themes of belonging, representation, race, and gender at the intersection of various artistic disciplines. By integrating forms such as dance, photography, martial arts, and spoken word, she seeks to innovate and expand the spectrum of art. Her work invites audiences to engage with diverse modes of expression and aims to foster dialogue.