White But Not Quite, 2014-15
Branches, paint, muslin, plaster, oxide, 150 x 200 x 50 cm
When I was about 7 years old, an old brown woman appeared at a family barbecue. Mum said she was my great nana but I knew she couldn’t be because she was brown and I was white. The adults didn’t seem to want to talk about it so I posed for awkward photos and tried to ignore it like everyone else. Now that I’ve finally started asking, no one can tell me where the brown skin comes from. If that old woman knew she never told anyone and no one wanted to ask. I’ve been trying to find out but all I’ve found so far are more questions.
Images: James Tylor