Fashion designer, illustrator, body painter, sculptor and now, music video director, Johny Dar’s latest creative project continues his explorations in identity. The American artist has written his first song ‘I’m Grey’, and directed an off-the-wall film to accompany it.

The simple lyrics of “Well sorry Mama, I’m not white enough. Well sorry Papa, I’m not black enough” repeat throughout the drum n bass track over a jungle beat and folk synth melodies with an energetic and aggressive vibe that will make you want to get up and dance.

The background set for the music video features a typically Johny Dar print of abstract shapes in, unsurprisingly, black and white. In the foreground, two lithe, semi-naked bodies jerk, bend and prowl around the scenery, one painted head to toe in black, the other in white. Their wild hair and undressed state is as primal as their movements, stripping them back to their core humanity.

Johny explained that this piece was designed to “express the pain of the ‘identity crises’ and the challenge faced when claiming our own voice.”

The new release ties in a number of elements from the artist’s previous work including the expressive patterns on the backdrop referencing the work included in ‘Dar the Book’ and body painting, from his work on Tuuli by Dar, all of which explored themes of identity and expressing the inside on the outside. However, using music as his medium this time is much more engaging and the video feels like a call to express yourself when listening to this track.    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ex_9Y1MW-w

Words: Olivia Pinnock