Tym Yee, People of Colour Swatches
Tym Yee is an emerging artist living and working in Sydney, Australia, on the lands of the Darug and Guringai people. Drawing on his lived experiences as a second generation Chinese Australian and through the use of unconventional materials, he offers a distinct interpretation of contemporary Australian life through conceptual installations and paintings. His work uses humour, interactivity, and intrigue to engage audiences with themes such as cultural diversity, immigration, and Australian history, among other personal curiosities.
People of Colour Swatches is an interactive exhibition consisting of 16 different skin colour swatches housed in a mirrored acrylic display wall with an accompanying website and limited edition photographic prints.
Audiences are invited to scan a QR code which takes them to a website where they can participate in a free "colour & influence design consultation". On this website they are given five prompts and asked to select swatches from the wall in response. The prompts include "You", "Your partner or recent love interest", "Your best friend", "Your boss" and "Your favourite celebrity".
These swatches form a colour palette that reflects an individual's personal sphere of influence, encouraging them to reflect on the diversity (or lack of diversity) in their life.
The work is styled after paint swatch walls found in hardware stores such as Bunnings and uses humour and interactivity to elicit critical reflection about diversity, inclusion and representation.