For her W cover shoot, Cardi B was photographed by the artist Mickalene Thomas, channeling Latina glamour queens of a bygone Hollywood era such as Maria Montez, Chelo Alonso, and Rita Moreno. Like Cardi, said Thomas, “They were all powerful women who claimed a space for themselves, in an industry that wasn’t exactly inclusionary.” In photographs, collage-based paintings, and domestic interiors, Thomas has drawn on art history and popular culture to explore black female sexuality and power. She wanted to reveal Cardi in an unexpected way. “On many levels, she portrays herself through a male gaze,” said Thomas “I wanted to see if she could transform herself and go beyond the prescribed notion that’s expected within an industry that wants to only perceive and present you as one dimensional.”
