Credit: Microsoft.
Kyra Hicks
America's Doll
Quilter Kyra Hicks also discusses the influence of skin tone in representation of women, through her quilt Black Barbie. Hicks designs elaborate story quilts that document her identity as a young, single African American woman. Through her quilt Black Barbie, Hicks criticizes the exclusive standard definition of beauty that the Barbie doll represents while simultaneously celebrating African American beauty. Hicks has manipulated Barbie’s features by representing multiple skin tones, “lauding a diversity of skin colors but also invoking stereotypes associated with lighter or darker skin.” Hicks highlights colorism in mass production by showing the limited definition of beauty Barbie represents.
Credit: Black Barbie, 1996. Quilt. Collection of the Artist.
