Collection: The Color Black
“When I fell in love with black, it contained all color. It wasn’t a negation of color. It was an acceptance. Black is the most aristocratic color of all.” — Louise Nevelson
In this striking series, photographer Jamie Nelson delves into color theory through the powerful interplay between the deep, rich skin tones of her Sudanese models and hyper-saturated technicolor environments. Renowned for her bold compositions and masterful control of pigment, Nelson invites viewers to reconsider how we perceive and define color itself.
Through her signature use of color-blocking, she juxtaposes clashing fluorescent tones against velvety black skin, transforming the body into a graphic silhouette—both subject and shape, presence and negative space. Neon roses bloom across the canvas in layered collage, while bold splashes of pink paint leap from the surface of the models' skin like painterly exclamations.
Black skin becomes both backdrop and brushstroke. Nelson adorns her models in gilded and chrome African-inspired jewelry, elevating the textural complexity and dimensionality of each frame. The series is not merely a visual experience—it is tactile, sculptural, and alive with chromatic tension.
Long celebrated for her exploration of color, Nelson asserts that black is not the absence of color, but rather its origin. In her hands, black becomes luminous, regal, and infinite. It is the canvas upon which all colors emerge—and the embodiment of beauty itself.
