Mickalene Thomas

We've been supportive characters for far too long and My art gives Black women their flowers and let them know that they are the leading role.

We've been supportive characters for far too long and My art gives Black women their flowers and let them know that they are the leading role.

We've been supportive characters for far too long and My art gives Black women their flowers and let them know that they are the leading role.

Thank you so much for having me. Hopefully I'm not too congested.

Thank you so much for having me. Hopefully I'm not too congested.

Thank you so much for having me. Hopefully I'm not too congested.

I think I would describe my art as radically shifting sort of notions of beauty by claiming space that has been often not have us on the platform as the leading character. We've been supportive characters for far too long and

I think I would describe my art as radically shifting sort of notions of beauty by claiming space that has been often not have us on the platform as the leading character. We've been supportive characters for far too long and

I think I would describe my art as radically shifting sort of notions of beauty by claiming space that has been often not have us on the platform as the leading character. We've been supportive characters for far too long and

historical images and that my art gives black women their flowers and let them know that they are the leading role and validating that and so there's intersections of using and juxtaposing historical tropes but also Disrupting and breaking sort of down those notions of beauty, of ideation that is hold to what is beauty, right?

historical images and that my art gives black women their flowers and let them know that they are the leading role and validating that and so there's intersections of using and juxtaposing historical tropes but also Disrupting and breaking sort of down those notions of beauty, of ideation that is hold to what is beauty, right?

historical images and that my art gives black women their flowers and let them know that they are the leading role and validating that and so there's intersections of using and juxtaposing historical tropes but also Disrupting and breaking sort of down those notions of beauty, of ideation that is hold to what is beauty, right?

And so for me, I just look around my community within my world and started with my mother.

And so for me, I just look around my community within my world and started with my mother.

And so for me, I just look around my community within my world and started with my mother.

Yeah, I think the Barnes as an institution has always been committed to a particular community engagement. And it always has been about the art and the artists. But for this exhibition to be 15 minutes away from my family, I mean, it was, to be quite honest, like I was very anxious and nervous about it. Really? Yeah, because...

Yeah, I think the Barnes as an institution has always been committed to a particular community engagement. And it always has been about the art and the artists. But for this exhibition to be 15 minutes away from my family, I mean, it was, to be quite honest, like I was very anxious and nervous about it. Really? Yeah, because...

Yeah, I think the Barnes as an institution has always been committed to a particular community engagement. And it always has been about the art and the artists. But for this exhibition to be 15 minutes away from my family, I mean, it was, to be quite honest, like I was very anxious and nervous about it. Really? Yeah, because...

Most of my family members were going to see my work for the first time in person, like my aunts and uncles, my cousins.

Most of my family members were going to see my work for the first time in person, like my aunts and uncles, my cousins.