Mickalene Thomas

The core of Mickalene Thomas’s practice—an exploration into the complexity of Black female subjectivity—is present across mediums, including painting, photography, collage, video, and installation. Instead of supporting preconceived perceptions of female attractiveness as a deceptive facade, Thomas portrays Black women as the owners and interpreters of their own appearances.

Among her best-known works are tableaux of Black women in 1970s-inspired interiors, such as Afro Goddess with Hand Between Legs (2006), a chromogenic print of Thomas’s in the Studio Museum’s permanent collection.