Mickalene Thomas

Mickalene Thomas (American, b.1971) is a New York-based artist who is best known for her elaborate rhinestone-adorned paintings as well as her use of colorful acrylic paints. She is also known for her provocative paintings of African American women who romanticize power and femininity, which is reminiscent of the 1970s-style Blaxploitation genre. Her work explores and expands on the common definition of beauty in a Contemporary perspective. Her work is heavily influenced by pop culture as well as Pop Art. Thomas's work is also inspired by her serious study of art history, as well as the genres of landscape, still life, and portraiture. Thomas graduated from the Pratt Institute in 2000 with a BA in Fine Arts and earned her MA in Fine Arts at Yale University in 2002. She also studied abroad in Lismore, Australia, at Southern Cross University. Mickalene Thomas is a contemporary American artist best known for her depictions of African-American women and celebrities through collages of acrylic, enamel, and rhinestones. Often based in photography, Thomas’ practice utilizes both the aesthetics of Western painting and the heavily sexualized blaxploitation films of the 1970s. Through appropriated imagery the artist addresses issues of femininity, race, and beauty alongside personal histories and childhood memories, citing artists such as Carrie Mae Weems and Romare Bearden as early influences. She also notably painted the first individual portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama, which was subsequently displayed at the National Portrait Gallery.