Melanin Rising

Abhi Chinniah

Depot Artspace
Street Front Gallery
28 Clarence Street, Devonport, Auckland

6 – 28 September 2022

Essay reading and korero – 10 September @ 2pm (refreshments provided)

There is a seemingly endless list of skin-lightening products available to the masses–soaps, creams, makeup, and balms–that all promise lighter skin. When you live in a world where being light and fair is celebrated, what happens to those of us who have “too much” melanin?

Abhi Chinniah returns with a deeper dive into her 2020 photographic exhibition exploring colourism. Melanin Rising uses portraits, essays, and interviews to understand skin-lightening practices and media representation of dark-skinned people while looking at what we can do to create a world where there is no shadeism. At the core of this photo series sits an important message: love your melanin.

Abhi Chinniah is a portrait photographer and writer. Drawing from her lived experiences, Abhi uses portraiture to elevate marginalised voices, women of colour, migrant communities, explore colourism and everything in between. Her debut photographic series Light Skin Dark Skin used portraits of kiwi women to explore the journeys people have to take because of the colour of their skin. Abhi’s most recent photo series A Migrant’s Path, which sought the connection between home, roots and belonging, was recently acquired by The National Library of New Zealand. Her ongoing work celebrates the diverse cultures existing in Aotearoa.

Born in Ōtautahi Christchurch to Sri Lankan Malaysian parents, Abhi grew up in East Coast Malaysia and now lives in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa New Zealand.

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