Humanæ Project: Pantone Skin Tones

As designers we are all too familiar with the Pantone Matching System… the industry standard for classifying colors with an alphanumeric code, allowing for accurate recreation across media. We literally refer to it daily, and many designers can often rattle off Pantone numbers with great excitement and precision (we are guilty as charged). Brazilian-born, Madrid-based photographer Angélica Dass capitalizes on the familiarity of the Pantone system in her ongoing Humanæ Project, in an effort to “record and catalog all possible human skin tones.” This “chromatic inventory” is certainly a tall order, but Dass’s approach is a terrifically visually engaging way to broach the subject of social, cultural and racial identity, which is close to her heart. To date, Dass has indexed over 3,000 different shades from volunteers around the world (22 cities and 14 different countries on five continents, to be exact). Dass’s project has taken on a life of its own, even spawning educational and outreach programs developed by Dass herself. Not only do we love the concept, but Dass’s execution and philanthropic spirit really take it to the next level. Be sure to check out Dass’s TED Talk (here) to learn more about the origins and goal of this laudable project.

Via humanae.tumblr.com and Instagram