NEWS CENTER
Mickalene Thomas makes art that ‘gives Black women their flowers’
In Mickalene Thomas’ art work, Black women are front and center. Her subjects are often at leisure, resting on couches and chairs, sometimes nude, and frequently accentuated by rhinestones and rich colorful patterns.
“I would describe my art as radically shifting notions of beauty by claiming space,” she says. “We’ve been supportive characters for far too long and … my art gives Black women their flowers and lets them know that they are the leading role.”
The scale of Thomas’ paintings, often made of unconventional materials like glitter, sequins, and yarn, makes them feel larger than life, with the eyes of her subjects gazing directly at the viewer. Each piece begins as a collage.
“I love the instant, tangible way having my hands at it, as if I’m sculpting with the paper, allows me the immediacy of the process,” she says. “My scissors are sort of a way of drawing.”
Thomas often recasts scenes from 19th-century French paintings, centering Black sensuality and power. She says her ultimate goal is to celebrate the “sisterhood” that exists between Black women, and which she grew up experiencing.
Published December 3, 2024
By Tonya Mosley
Read the full article here.
