Shudu took the internet by storm. After being featured on the Fenty Beauty Instagram page, the model became a phenomenon. Her looks quickly gained her a following of 60k fans, who were dazed by her breathtaking dark skin. Turns out, the surreal beauty is just that- surreal. Shudu is, in fact, the 3D creation of artist Cameron James Wilson. Here is what you need to know about the “ World’s First Digital Supermodel”
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Before the stunt of the “World’s First Digital Supermodel” was revealed, Shudu’s bio simply read “who is she.” And for the longest, London photographer Cameron James Wilson let the world wonder.
The breakthrough of her Fenty beauty feature increased the interest around her persona. The more people cared, the harder it was to keep the mystery. She was a dark skin beauty, a tremendous model, and a web attraction. She was the statuesque Shudu, but the world needed more. And the more was a lot greater than anyone expected.
Creator Cameron James later revealed in Harper’s Bazaar: “Shudu is my creation, she’s my art piece that I am working on”. While his initial motive was art driven, Wilson acknowledges that “Just the same as in many industries, the 3D world is sorely lacking ethnic diversity and black characters and assets are particularly rare.”
That awareness of the bias towards dark skin women is the same reason why Shudu is controversial. The issue isn’t so much that the artist is white and that the model is black. The issue is that the creator is aware of his privilege. Yet, he chose to use his talent to further fetishize the black body.
“She is not a real model, but she represents a lot of the real models of today. There’s a big kind of movement with dark skin models, so she inspires them and is inspired by them. Obviously some models like Duckie [Thot]” Yes, representation matters! But how effective is it when it enforces the belief it aims to eradicate?
The models that inspired Shudu are still a minority in the industry. And that’s where Wilson’s approach is questionable. Dark skin is not ” a big kind of movement. ” To label it a trend is to ostracize it for its identity. In his design to celebrate black beauty and showcase diversity, the artist ( subconsciously or not) robs that exact blackness of its uniqueness.
Shudu is a revolutionary digital creation. The artist Cameron James Wilson showcased the existing beauty of black women through her. The realism of her character should encourage creators to push diversity in the 3D world. It is not a pretext to fetishize black women or view dark skin as a trend. Shudu is nonetheless breathtaking. But let’s appreciate her for what she is: art.
The digital industry can embrace blackness in a more ethical manner. Shudu is a beautiful black 3D character. She is not an alternative dark skin supermodel. She can’t be when dark skin women still struggle to model.
2 Comments
Ebony (@gl0hen)
As a dark skinned model AND digital media arts student in college, I can appreciate Shudu as a work of digital art. With art and technology comes crazy innovation. I’m not surprised nor am I offended. I understand the artist choosing to be innovative in creating a 3D digital dark skinned model. However, if you truly believe in diversifying an industry, it makes sense to simply employ the ones who are underrepresented yet overly fetishised. From childhood to my 20s, the reactions I’ve gotten about my highly pigmented sunkissed dark skin have shifted drastically, including my own views on it. My hope for the future is that REAL HUMAN DARK SKINNED MODELS will get the opportunities we deserve without being objectified as a piece of chocolate. We’re dynamic, we’re fierce, we have minds and stories to tell that can inspire generations of people. You can’t interact with a 3D piece of art. Shudu is a beautiful object. She doesn’t compare to the experience you’d get actually interacting with a creative dark skinned woman who is working her way into an industry that’s still evolving to make room for women of color. We are the exact opposite of the European beauty standards that still dominate the industry. Hire US. Learn about US. Don’t just recreate us. God did His job just fine. But nice art, once again.
Fatima Sy
Thank you for your comment Ebony! I think your insight is relevant to the duality of the topic. On one hand, it is a beautiful piece of art and nobody can deny the mastery of Wilson’s craft. On the other hand, the delivery and the rationale just seem off. Whatever it is, the industry is changing – hopefully, it is more inclusive of real models. Thank you for reading!