In spectacular staged photographs and dazzling patchwork paintings made from acrylic, rhinestones, and enamel, Mickalene Thomas celebrates female beauty, sexuality, desire, and power. Her compositions often focus on Black female subjects and feature 1970s-style patterns, bold pops of color, and references to art historical figures including Picasso and Manet. Such juxtapositions allow Thomas to explore Black women’s relationships to both art history and contemporary culture at large.

The artist has enjoyed solo exhibitions at the Brooklyn Museum, the Bass Museum in Miami, the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, among other institutions. At auction, Thomas’s work can command upwards of seven figures. Along with her fine-art practice, Thomas has shot for such publications as W, Out, and T: The New York Times Style Magazine. She has also constructed elaborate installations to showcase her works. (Source: Artsy.net, Seattle Art Museum.