Written by NewsOneStaff
NewsOne

“It is hard to believe that the effects of slavery and colonialism are still with us in 2011,” said Manuel Tony Peralta.

A new exhibit by the Dominican artist aims to explore the issues of skin color, hair, texture, self-esteem, and what it means to be Latino and Black, News One reports. Titled “Complejo”, meaning complex in Spanish, the exhibit showcases life amidst the two cultures, using his narrative in the predominately Dominican neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York City.

“These racial issues were with me as a child growing up and are still with me as a grown man,” says Peralta, 35, whom everyone calls Tony. While taking film classes in college, he wrote a short script called “The So-Called Ugly Duckling,” about a boy growing up in a family where he looked noticeably different from other family members.

“These racial issues were with me as a child growing up and are still with me as a grown man,” says Peralta, 35, whom everyone calls Tony. While taking film classes in college, he wrote a short script called “The So-Called Ugly Duckling,” about a boy growing up in a family where he looked noticeably different from other family members.

Click here for the full report from NewsOne.