Mickalene Thomas American, b. 1971
New York-based artist Mickalene Thomas (b. 1971, USA) is best known for her elaborate paintings composed of rhinestones, acrylic and enamel. Thomas introduces a complex vision of what it means to be a woman and expands common definitions of beauty. Her work stems from her long study of art history and the classical genres of portraiture, landscape, and still life.
Inspired by various sources that range from the 19th century Hudson River School to Edouard Manet, Henri Matisse and Romare Bearden, she continues to explore notions of beauty from a contemporary perspective infused with the more recent influences of popular culture and Pop Art
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Mickalene Thomas, Better Nights, 2019 - 2020, Exhibition Video
November 13, 2020 -
Mickalene Thomas, Better Nights, 2019 - 2020 - Artland 3D Tour
November 13, 2020Inspired by the local New Jersey play ‘Put a Little Sugar in my Bowl’ organized and performed by the artists’ mother, friends, and family as...Read more -
Kerry James Marshall and Mickalene Thomas Discuss Figuring History at the SAM
February 15, 2018Artists Kerry James Marshall and Mickalene Thomas discuss history, representation and painting at Seattle Art Museum's 'Figuring History,' which also features works by Robert Colescott....Read more -
MIckalene Thomas: On Set With Vogue
December 21, 2015
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Mickalene ThomasJet Blue #12, 2019Color photograph, mixed media paper, tape, gold leaf, metallic paint and Swarovski crystal fabric on hot press paper mounted on Dibond54 x 43 3/8 x 2 5/8 in
137.2 x 110.2 x 6.7 cm -
Mickalene ThomasJet Blue #8, 2019Color photograph, mixed media paper, tape, Swarovski crystal fabric, acrylic paint and pastel on hot press paper60 3/4 x 51 1/4 x 2 in
154.3 x 130.2 x 5.1 cm -
Mickalene ThomasJet Blue #9, 2019Color photograph, mixed media paper, tape, Swarovski crystal fabric and pastel on hot press paper60 3/4 x 51 1/4 x 2 in
154.3 x 130.2 x 5.1 cm -
Mickalene ThomasAnonymous was a woman, 2014Wood, glass, painted bronze, costume jewelry, black velvet48 (diameter) x 50 in
121.9 (diameter) x 127 cmEdition 3 of 3 -
Mickalene ThomasLove is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired, 2014Wood, glass, painted bronze24 (diameter) x 50 in
61 (diameter) x 127 cmEdition 1 of 3 -
Mickalene ThomasMake sure to allow people to take care of you, 2014Acrylic on canvas60 x 84 in
152.4 x 213.4 cm -
Mickalene ThomasUntitled, 2014Multi-media installationdimensions variable
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Mickalene ThomasUntitled, 2014Bronze, wood24 x 44 1/2 in
61 x 113 cm -
Mickalene ThomasBlack and White Polaroid Series #1, 2012Digital Polaroid prints15 1/4 x 13 5/8 in
38.9 x 34.6 cm
(4 prints: 3.5 x 4.2 in ea.)Edition 1 of 3 plus 2 APs -
Mickalene ThomasBlack and White Polaroid Series #2, 2012Digital Polaroid prints15 1/4 x 13 5/8 in
38.9 x 34.6 cm
(4 prints: 3.5 x 4.2 in ea.)Edition 2 of 3 plus 2 APs -
Mickalene ThomasBlack and White Polaroid Series #5, 2012Digital Polaroid prints3 1/2 x 4 1/4 in ea.
8.9 x 10.7 cm ea.
framed:
34 1/2 x 45 in
87.6 x 114.3 cmEdition 1 of 3, with 2 APs
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Mickalene Thomas, Better Nights
The Bass Museum of Art | Miami Beach, FL 1 Dec 2019 - 16 Nov 2020Better Nights will present a schedule of programming arranged by the artist, including live performances, concerts, activations, a live bar and appearances by guest DJs. The first chapter, Better Days, took place at the Galerie Volkhaus in Basel, Switzerland during Art Basel 2013.Read more -
Mickalene Thomas, I Was Born To Do Great Things
Kavi Gupta | 835 W. Washington Blvd. Chicago, IL, 60607 19 Sep 2014 - 31 Jan 2015Kavi Gupta is proud to announce its first solo exhibition with New York based artist Mickalene Thomas, entitled I was born to do great things.Read more
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IMMERSIVE COMMUNITY: MICKALENE THOMAS BRINGS WARMTH TO MIAMI’S BASS MUSEUM
Caira Moreira-Brown, Fad Magazine, December 29, 2019 -
MICKALENE THOMAS RECREATES THE SPARKLING DANCE PARTIES AND RADICAL BLACK AESTHETIC OF THE ’70S AND ’80S
Ann Binlot, Document Journal, December 18, 2019 -
MICKALENE THOMAS OPENS A SEDUCTIVE, SPECTACULAR SHOW IN MIAMI
Alina Cohen, Artsy, December 13, 2019 -
THE MOST INFLUENTIAL ARTIST OF 2019
Artsy Editors, Artsy, December 13, 2019 -
HOW I GET IT DONE: ARTIST MICKALENE THOMAS
Erica Schwiegershausen, The Cut, December 3, 2019 -
THE RISE AND RISE OF MICKALENE THOMAS
Carol VOgel, Town & Country, December 3, 2019 -
THE FIERCE PRIDE AND PASSION OF RHINESTONE FASHION
Anne Showalter, Smithsonian, August 20, 2019 -
BLACK MODELS IN MODERN ART
CBS News, Kay LIm, July 16, 2019 -
MUSEUMS ARE SWAPPING PAINTINGS BY WHITE MALE ARTISTS FOR WORKS BY BLACK ARTISTS, FILLING HISTORIC GAPS IN THEIR COLLECTI
VIctoria Valentine, Culture Type, July 9, 2019 -
AIMING TO DIVERSIFY COLLECTION, SFMOMA PURCHASES 11 WORKS WITH PROFITS FROM $50 M. ROTHKO SALE
Claire Selvin, ARTnews, July 2, 2019 -
SFMOMA’S NEW ACQUISITIONS AN IMPORTANT DROP IN THE BUCKET
Charles Desmarais, SF Chronicle Datebook, July 2, 2019 -
SFMOMA SELLS ROTHKO PAINTING TO FUND PURCHASE OF 11 WORKS BY WOMEN AND MINORITIES
Jay Barmann, SFMOMA, July 2, 2019 -
‘BE SEEN’: PORTRAITS RECLAIMING THE GAY EXPERIENCE AT WADSWORTH ATHENEUM
Susan Dunne, Hartford Courant, June 27, 2019 -
TILDA SWINTON CURATES PHOTOGRAPHY INSPIRED BY VIRGINIA WOOLF’S ORLANDO
Ksenia M. Soboleva, HYPERALLERGIC, June 27, 2019 -
SFMOMA SOLD A ROTHKO FOR $50 MILLION TO DIVERSIFY ITS COLLECTION. HERE’S WHAT THEY BOUGHT WITH THE PROCEEDS
Taylor Dafoe, Artnet News, June 27, 2019 -
NATIONAL YOUNGARTS FOUNDATION COMPETITION OPEN TO 15- TO 18-YEAR-OLD ARTISTS ACROSS DISCIPLINES
DanceLand, June 7, 2019 -
SURROUND YOURSELF IN THE 70S: MICKALENE THOMAS INSTALLATION COMES TO MIAMI’S BASS MUSEUM
Victoria Stapley-Brown, The Art Newspaper, June 7, 2019 -
MIAMI’S RUBELL MUSEUM TO OPEN NEW 100,000-SQUARE-FOOT HOME IN DECEMBER
ARTFORUM, ARTFORUM, June 6, 2019 -
TILDA SWINTON HAS CURATED AN EXHIBITION THEMED ON VIRGINIA WOOLF’S ORLANDO
Belle Hutton, Another, May 28, 2019 -
WE SPEAK TO THE ARTIST WHO JUST REDESIGNED THE DIOR BAR JACKET
Hannah Tindle, Another, May 15, 2019 -
RESORT 2020 – FIRST COLLECTIONS OVERVIEW
Trendstop Fashion United, May 15, 2019 -
ALUMNA MICKALENE THOMAS HONORED WITH THE 2019 PIONEER WORKS VISIONARY AWARD
Pratt Institute, May 9, 2019 -
EVERY MUST-SEE MOMENT FROM DIOR’S RESORT 2020 SHOW
Francesca Wallace, Marie Claire, May 6, 2019 -
INSIDE PIONEER WORKS’S 6TH ANNUAL VILLAGE FETE
Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, May 5, 2019 -
MICKALENE THOMAS’ TOTAL ENGAGEMENT
Sharon Edelson, WWD, May 2, 2019 -
NIGERIANS REACT TO THE #DIORCRUISE 2020 “AFRICAN WAX” COLLECTION
Bella Naija, May 1, 2019 -
MARIA GRAZIA CHIURI FINDS COMMON GROUND IN MARRAKESH FOR DIOR
Trey gaskin, L'Officiel, April 30, 2019 -
DIOR CRUISE 2020: MICKALENE THOMAS AND GRACE WALES BONNER ON REDESIGNING THE ICONIC BAR JACKET
Par Vogue, Par Vogue, April 30, 2019 -
HOW QUEER ARTISTS ARE LEVELING THE SCALES FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
Mikelle Street, Out Magazine, April 25, 2019 -
BOOTS RILEY ON THE LINKS BETWEEN ART, SURREALISM AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Victoria Stapley-Brown, The Art Newspaper, April 3, 2019 -
‘YOUR BODY ITSELF IS ALREADY A PLACE OF POLITICS’: CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS RESPOND TO EIGHT QUESTIONS FROM AFRICOBRA COFOUN
ARTNEWS, ARTNEWS, April 1, 2019 -
ARTIST PROPOSALS FOR SHIRLEY CHISHOLM MONUMENT IN NEW YORK REVEALED
Claire Selvin, ARTnews, March 27, 2019 -
SEE THE FIVE ARTIST PROPOSALS FOR NYC’S SHIRLEY CHISHOLM MONUMENT
Zachary Small, HYPERALLERGIC, March 27, 2019 -
SEE PROPOSALS BY MICKALENE THOMAS, FIRELEI BÁEZ, AND OTHERS FOR A MONUMENT TO THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO SERVE IN CONGRESS
Sarah Cascone, Artnet News, March 27, 2019 -
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT | ART ARTIST MICKALENE THOMAS AND AUTHOR DARNELL MOORE EXPLORE RACE, IDENTITY AT ‘ENTANGLED SPIRI
Esterah Brown, Columbia Spectator , February 8, 2019 -
“SHE PERSISTS”: AN UNPRECEDENTED SHOW OF ART BY WOMEN IN “THE PEOPLE’S HOUSE”
Andrea K. Scott, The New Yorker, February 5, 2019 -
BEYONCÉ’S BLACK HISTORY MONTH COLLAGE TEACHES US A POWERFUL LESSON
Jolie A. Doggett, Huffington Post, February 5, 2019 -
BLACK CANADIAN WOMEN ARTISTS DETANGLE THE ROOTS OF BLACK BEAUTY
Cheryl Thompson, The Conversation, January 17, 2019 -
CULTURE TYPE: THE YEAR IN BLACK ART 2018
Victoria L. Valentine, Culture Type, January 15, 2019 -
TWO REVELATORY EXHIBITIONS UPEND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF BLACK MODELS IN ART
Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, December 10, 2018 -
THE ART WORLD OFTEN EXCLUDES BLACK WOMEN. MICKALENE THOMAS’S SUPERPOWER IS MAKING THEM VISIBLE
Amanda Parris, CBC, December 8, 2018 -
THE BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART – MICKALENE THOMAS SELECTED AS INAUGURAL ARTIST FOR NEW BIENNIAL PUBLIC ART COMMISSION
E-Flux, December 2, 2018 -
DECONSTRUCTING RACE IN WESTERN PAINTING
David Carrier, HYPERALLERGIC, December 1, 2018 -
BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART LAUNCHES COMMISSION SERIES AND CURATORIAL FELLOWSHIP WITH FOCUS ON DIVERSITY
ARTFORUM, November 30, 2018 -
POSING MODERNITY
Long Nguyen, Flaunt, November 12, 2018 -
AS IF, AUDEMARS PIGUET BRING STIMULATING TALK TO BEAUTIFUL SETTING
Sharon Edelson, WWD, November 9, 2018 -
WHAT IT MEANS WHEN COLUMBIA DOES A SHOW ABOUT THE BLACK MODEL ON ITS WEST HARLEM EXPANSION CAMPUS
Tiana Reid, Vulture, November 9, 2018 -
SEVEN ARTISTS ON THE WARHOL INFLUENCE (EXCERPT)
Autwaun Sargent, New York Times, November 1, 2018 -
POSING MODERNITY: THE BLACK MODEL FROM MANET AND MATISSE TO TODAY
Apollo Magazine, October 24, 2018 -
MATISSE TO MODERNITY: THE EVOLUTION OF BLACK FEMALE MODELS IN ART
Nadja Sayej, Guardian, October 22, 2018 -
ARTS REVIEW: IN DEPICTING WOMEN IN HER LIFE, PAINTER MICKALENE THOMAS PREFERS FLASH, DEPTH
Nancy Gilson, The Columbus Dispatch, October 14, 2018 -
MICKALENE THOMAS MAKES A MUSE OF CARDI B
Jasmine Weber, HYPERALLERGIC, October 11, 2018 -
CARDI B CHANNELS HOLLYWOOD’S LEGENDARY LATINA GLAMOUR QUEENS IN W’S ART ISSUE (EXCERPT)
Diane Solway, W Magazine, October 10, 2018 -
HIGH ART: CARDI B AND ARTIST MICKALENE THOMAS COLLAB FOR W MAGAZINE
Maiysha Kai, The Glow Up | The Root, October 10, 2018 -
5 LESSONS IN FEMINIST ART (EXCERPT)
Jenna Adrian-Diaz, The Cut, October 3, 2018 -
ARTIST MICKALENE THOMAS OPENS UP ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSE BODIES IN HER WOR
Kimberly Drew, Hapers Bazaar, October 3, 2018 -
BLACK GIRL MAGIC, MICKALENE THOMAS, AND BEING MY OWN MUSE
JASMYNE KEIMIG, The Stranger, September 21, 2018 -
IN CONVERSATION: JOHN EDMONDS AND MICKALENE THOMAS
Michael Love Michael, Paper Mag, September 19, 2018 -
RETROSPECTIVE FROM THE ARCHIVES: MICKALENE THOMAS ON WHY HER WORK GOES ‘BEYOND A BLACK ESTHETIC,’ IN 2011
ARTnews, ARTnews, September 14, 2018 -
AN ARTIST PAYS HOMAGE TO HER GLAMOROUS, DYING MOTHER
Emily Pothast, The Stranger, September 12, 2018 -
WEXNER CENTER ART EXHIBITION TO EMPOWER WOMEN, CHALLENGE ART HISTORY NORMS
Michael Lee, The Lantern, September 9, 2018 -
FROM MARK BRADFORD IN BALTIMORE TO VICTOR HUGO IN LA: 33 MUSEUM SHOWS AROUND THE US WORTH TRAVELING FOR (EXCERPT)
Caroline Goldsten and Sarah Cascone, Artnet News, September 5, 2018 -
STOCKARD CHANNING, MICKALENE THOMAS AND MORE ON FULFILLMENT (EXCERPT
The Wall Street Journal, September 5, 2018 -
ARTIST MICKALENE THOMAS: ‘IT WAS ALWAYS A POLITICAL STATEMENT
julie L Belcove, Financial Times, August 31, 2018 -
A LOOK AT PAINTER MICKALENE THOMAS’ LESSER-KNOWN PHOTOGRAPHY AT HENRY ART GALLERY
Gayle Clemans, Seattle Times, August 30, 2018 -
MOTHER AS MUSE IN A POWERFUL SHOW OF BLACK BEAUTY
Michael Upchurch, Crosscut, July 23, 2018 -
HENRY ART GALLERY: MUSE: MICKALENE THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHS AND TÊTE-À-TÊTE OPEN AT THE HENRY ON JULY 14
Xavier Lopez, Seattle PI, June 27, 2018 -
MICKALENE THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHS A WEEK IN HER LIFE, IN POLAROIDS
Alice Newell-Hanson, New York Times, June 18, 2018 -
NEW YORK “MULTIPLY, IDENTIFY, HER”
Kaelen Wilson-Goldie, ARTFORUM, June 2, 2018 -
MY BIG BREAK: 7 ARTISTS ON EARLY MILESTONES THAT CHANGED THE COURSE OF THEIR CAREERS (EXCERPT)
ARTNET News, May 31, 2018 -
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ART HISTORY GETS REFIGURED
Jane Levere, Smithsonian Magazine, May 9, 2018 -
LAST CHANCE TO SEE FIGURING HISTORY: ROBERT COLESCOTT, KERRY JAMES MARSHALL, MICKALENE THOMAS AT SEATTLE ART MUSEUM
The Seattle Medium, April 27, 2018 -
10 MUST-SEE WORKS AT ART BASEL UNLIMITED
Molly Gottschalk, Artsy, June 12, 2017 -
MICKALENE THOMAS IS CELEBRATING OUR SKIN | STUDIO VISIT
Gabrielle Bruney, Vice, May 4, 2016 -
IN MICKALENE THOMAS’S AWE-INSPIRING PORTRAITS, A MEANINGFUL REFLECTION OF BLACK WOMEN IN ART
Katie Booth, New York Times , January 29, 2016 -
MICKALENE THOMAS ON HER PHOTOGRAPHIC MUSES
Julia Felsenthal, Vogue, January 28, 2016 -
MOTHER, MUSE, MIRROR
Jennifer Blessing, The New Yorker, January 16, 2016
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11 FEMALE ARTISTS REINVENT THE LADY DIOR BAG
January 23, 2019For the third edition of “Lady Dior Art”, the house entrusted its iconic bag to eleven renowned artists. At the request of Maria Grazia Chiuri, 11 women have been invited to collaborate with the fashion house, a continuation of her feminist message that she conveys through her collections.Read more -
INDOMITABLE: AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS IN ‘ON THEIR OWN TERMS’ AT UA LITTLE ROCK UA LITTLE ROCK SHOWS HOW AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARTISTS MAKE ART ‘ON THEIR OWN TERMS.’
January 17, 2019UA Little Rock gallery director Brad Cushman pulled together 50 works by some of America’s finest black artists — including Bannister, Duncanson, Porter and Tanner — for a show that celebrates the work of fine artists who share an affinity born of life experience.Read more -
LADY DIOR | MICKALENE THOMAS
January 10, 2019The Lady Dior bag is not only iconic, but also the tangible trophy of this intersection of women and success in modern art and fashion. As any bag should be, Lady Dior is an aspect of identity, as each artistic ornamentation is stitched with passion and fosters new growth within fashion. Now, following the pre-launch in Miami last December we are blessed by the Third Edition of Dior Lady Art which will feature collaborations with eleven of the best artists from around the globe- all female, all badass and all reinterpreting the art of Dior. One of these paragon’s of female artistry is Mickalene Thomas who uses her absurdly artistic abilities to tackle social issues involving race, gender and sexuality. Her work is complex, using multiple mediums of art including rhinestones and acrylic to paint portraits of Western Art History and all those involved. With her work on this installation of Dior Lady Art, it is no surprise that she will yet again explore representations of black female identity and create masterpieces that seamlessly connect femininity and true power. There is no limit of excellence in Dior Lady Art, and the bags crafted shall remind all women that there is no limit to their own excellence. Watch the video below to see how Thomas grabs the industry by the shoulders and shakes all misconceptions away, further proving the strength of women and their craft.Read more -
MICKALENE THOMAS – MCA CHICAGO
August 17, 2017Kavi Gupta is happy to announce Woman with a Camera, a group exhibition featuring works by Mickalene Thomas at the MCA Chicago. Woman with a Camera presents photographs by 14 women artists who come from a diverse set of backgrounds and generations, and address various artistic concerns.Read more -
MICKALENE THOMAS – ART BASEL UNLIMITED
June 6, 2017We are pleased to announce Mickalene Thomas’ inclusion in Art Basel Unlimited. Thomas will be presenting a “unique edition” of Do I Look Like a Lady? (Comedians and Singers), 2016. The work presents a piercing, moving, and at times uproarious portrait of the diverse expressions of womanhood, building on ongoing reconsideration of black female identity. For more information click, here.Read more -
MICKALENE THOMAS – THE SPELMAN COLLEGE MUSEUM OF FINE ART
April 6, 2017Kavi Gupta is pleased to announce Mickalene Thomas: Mentors, Muses, and Celebrities a solo exhibition by Mickalene Thomas at The Spelman College of Museum of Fine Art. The exhibition, previously on view at Aspen Art Museum, features photographs, films, and video. The exhibition will be on view from February 9 – May 20, 2017. For more information click here.Read more -
MICKALENE THOMAS – NEWCOMB ART MUSEUM
January 13, 2017Kavi Gupta is delighted to announce Mickalene Thomas: Waiting On a Prime-Time Star, a new solo exhibition at Newcomb Art Museum at Tulane University. The exhibition brings together more than 40 works including paintings, photographs, collages, sculptures, film, and a site-specific installation that broadly engage the subject of portraiture through an interplay of different media. The exhibition will be on view from January 18 – April 9, 2017.Read more
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ANTWAUN SARGENT BOOK SPOTLIGHTS MICKALENE THOMAS, KERRY JAMES MARSHALL, AND MORE
September 9, 2020What started out as an essay by curator-writer-critic Antwaun Sargent, and later grew into an exhibition featuring the work of more than 30 artists, has...Read more -
MICKALENE THOMAS AMONG MOST INFLUENTIAL ARTISTS OF 2019
01.08.2020MICKALENE THOMAS AMONG MOST INFLUENTIAL ARTISTS OF 2019Read more -
KAVI GUPTA AT ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH 2019
12.19.2019Thank you to everyone who helped us have a spectacular week at Art Basel Miami Beach 2019!Read more -
MICKALENE THOMAS TAKES ON FASHION
10.11.2018Multimedia artist Mickalene Thomas has been an incredible force in the contemporary art world, using her work to challenge traditional representations of women in art....Read more -
MICKALENE THOMAS: MUSES
09.18.2018Last week, the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio, opened “I Can’t See You Without Me,” a show of work by New York-based painter, photographer and multimedia artist Mikalene Thomas. The exhibition focuses on the four people who have been most influential in Thomas’s life and art-making: her mother, her former lover, her partner, and the artist herself. Through large-scale paintings, video and sculpture, Thomas celebrates those who have helped her become the artist she is today.Read more