Your Blackness is glorious: Gracia Mutombo on ‘Colonised Beauty’ and standing against colourism

Gracia Mutombo speaks about Colonised Beauty - an experiential event that asks participants to reflect on the ways in which social media perpetuates racial biases and westernised beauty ideals.

Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and growing up in France, Gracia Mutombo soon developed an awareness of how Black beauty is perceived in predominantly white spaces and beyond.

Years later, during her final year on Central Saint Martins’ MA Narrative Environments course, she decided to revisit issues related to colourism and perceptions of African descent in her Final Major Project.

“I had a list of different themes but I was attracted to Black beauty and the fact that Black women are seen as less attractive, beautiful or desirable than other women, just because of their physical features and skin colour,” she says.

Presented through an immersive installation, her final project Colonised Beauty is an experiential event that asks participants to reflect on the ways in which social media perpetuates racial biases and westernised beauty ideals.

It’s specifically aimed at educating young Black teenage girls aged 13 to 17 years old about social media’s beautifying filters that make their appearance conform to Eurocentric beauty standards. After engaging with the installation, participants are encouraged to take part in a conversation about colourism and empowered to confront society’s construction of beauty which values lighter over darker skin.

Gracia first started developing her idea when she came across a study that claimed “Black women were less attractive than other women”, as well as being rooted in personal experiences.

“I went through body image issues when I was young because of the lack of Black female representation in the media, be that TV series, cartoons, news, magazines and more, so I didn't have a role model around me. I had my family, but when I went to school, I had no one that was like them,” Gracia recalls.

“But even within Black households, you come across some remarks and comments that are often passed down from generations. They don't do it on purpose, but it's something that they have been told over and over again; the mentality that lighter skin is prettier.”

Growing up with these experiences, Gracia thought about other teenage girls like her that might be experiencing the same.

“People don’t tend to consider this something important, but it's actually really important for the development of the girls, and what they're going to do later, who they're going to become and what they're going to convey and transfer to the next generations. But if this continues, it's never going to end.”