Digital colorist Marina Amaral believes that “color has the power to bring life back to the most important moments.” The self-taught young artist is described as the “Master of Photo Colorization” and has amassed a following of over a quarter of a million fans from around the world.
The Brazilian artist says of her work, “My goal is not to replace black-and-white photographs or to do something better than the original photographer. What I try to do is to build a bridge between the present and the past.” She believes that the human brain can only experience the true essence of a photograph or moment in time when it is seen in living color.
With careful historical research and meticulous attention to detail, Amaral colorizes and transforms some of the world’s most treasured photographs. Her work has been featured in a variety of publications and media outlets, including BBC, New York Post, The Washington Post, National Geographic, and many more.
Her latest project, “First Nations,” focuses on the indigenous peoples in Canada, just south of the Arctic Circle. The original photographs, taken in the early 1900s by Harry Pollard, are part of an extensive collection that recognizes some of the members of the 634 First Nations governments. Amaral’s colorization of Pollard’s photographs makes the subjects seemingly leap off of the page to tell their stories.
From the horrors of Auschwitz to the heroism of the Civil Rights Era, Amaral captures the essence of each photo to transport viewers back through time and into each moment. If a picture paints a thousand words, the brilliant work of this talented artist paints twice that much.