In this episode of U-M Creative Currents, Mark Clague sits down with Professor Rogério Meireles Pinto, artist, scholar, and social worker, to discuss his powerful multimedia exhibit, Colorism. Through video, photography, sculpture, and audience interaction, Colorism questions the ways skin color has been used to assign value, separate communities, and reinforce biases—both across and within racial groups.

Pinto discusses his personal and professional journey, from growing up queer and poor under a dictatorship in Brazil to merging art and science in his work on social justice. He shares insights on how humor plays a role in his critique of racial constructs, the power of autoethnography in healing and activism, and why conversations about colorism are more relevant than ever.

About Our Guest:

• Rogério Meireles Pinto is the University Diversity Social Transformation Professor, Berit Ingersoll-Dayton Collegiate Professor of Social Work, and Professor of Theatre and Drama at the University of Michigan. Born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, he uses art-based methods in community-engaged research in the U.S. and Brazil, focusing on improving healthcare access for marginalized groups. His award-winning solo play Marília explores personal loss and identity, while his art installation Realm of the Dead examines his experiences as a gender non-conforming, mixed-race Latinx immigrant. His work has been presented internationally and funded by the NIH and other organizations.

Relevant Links:

• Learn more about Colorism: https://www.rogeriompinto.com/colorism 
• Follow Rogério Pinto: https://ssw.umich.edu/faculty/profiles/tenure-track/ropinto 

• Arts Initiative Newsletter Subscribe