Makeup Artist Causes Outrage for Transforming a White Woman Into ‘a Woman of Another Culture’

Cindy Arboleda

Los Angeles makeup artist Paintdatface is under fire on social media after posting a side-by-side photo of a white model whom he “transformed” into a “woman of another culture.”

Makeup artist Paintdatface’s makeup transformation, pictured here, is causing controversy. (Photo: Instagram/Annathorsell)
Makeup artist Paintdatface’s makeup transformation, pictured here, is causing controversy. (Photo: Instagram/Annathorsell)

The post, which has since been deleted (though the model in the photo, Anna Thorsell, reposted it, with a statement from the artist), was initially shared on Instagram to his 65,000 followers. Despite his best efforts to clarify that his intent was not about “race change,” some of Paintdatface’s followers took offense and called his latest work “blackface.”

REPOST @paintdatface ❤ ・・・ The transformation that I recently posted of a woman transformed into a woman of another culture has been highly criticized by those who don't understand the message. I deleted the post, not because I had regret or saw wrongdoing, but because of the negativity social media turned it into. It's been assumed by most that my intentions were to transform my model into a black woman. Truth is, my intentions were to keep the look vague enough to be relatable to many women of different cultures, but the true inspiration of the overall look came from my Cuban heritage. Although I am saddened by how many people are angered, I can't offer an apology for my artwork and for what I find to be beautiful. The transformation came from a place of love and was not about mocking one's race, but rather about celebrating it. I am so proud to be illustrating a woman representing several cultures along with their achievements, beliefs and histories. Art is interpreted differently by all and sometimes it's uncomfortable, but making this world a better place starts with our mindset – thinking positive, showing love and practicing unity.

A post shared by ANNA THORSELL (@annathorsell) on May 29, 2017 at 6:40pm PDT

“She looked amazing, but I’m sure you could’ve found a model that has that skin tone,” wrote one of his Instagram followers. “You did blackface even if it was represented in a beautiful way. Wrong is wrong.”

Paintdatface, whose real name has not been disclosed online, did not offer an apology after deleting his original Instagram post. Instead, on Monday he posted a statement on Instagram: “I deleted the post, not because I had regret or saw wrongdoing, but because of the negativity social media turned it into. It’s been assumed by most that my intentions were to transform my model into a black woman. Truth is, my intentions were to keep the look vague enough to be relatable to many women of different cultures, but the true inspiration of the overall look came from my Cuban heritage.”

He added: “Although I am saddened by how many people are angered, I can’t offer an apology for my artwork and for what I find to be beautiful. The transformation came from a place of love and was not about mocking one’s race, but rather about celebrating it.”

The transformation that I recently posted of a woman transformed into a woman of another culture has been highly criticized by those who don't understand the message. I deleted the post, not because I had regret or saw wrongdoing, but because of the negativity social media turned it into. It's been assumed by most that my intentions were to transform my model into a black woman. Truth is, my intentions were to keep the look vague enough to be relatable to many women of different cultures, but the true inspiration of the overall look came from my Cuban heritage. Although I am saddened by how many people are angered, I can't offer an apology for my artwork and for what I find to be beautiful. The transformation came from a place of love and was not about mocking one's race, but rather about celebrating it. I am so proud to be illustrating a woman representing several cultures along with their achievements, beliefs and histories. Art is interpreted differently by all and sometimes it's uncomfortable, but making this world a better place starts with our mindset – thinking positive, showing love and practicing unity.

A post shared by Makeup + Hair (@paintdatface) on May 29, 2017 at 12:40pm PDT

But after scrolling through the makeup artist’s Instagram page, one of his followers pointed out that it seems Paintdatface rarely uses models who are women of color.

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