Mickalene Thomas

Mickalene Thomas is an American artist born in 1971 in Jackson, Mississippi. She is known for her large-scale paintings of Black women, adorned with vivid patterns and rhinestones. Thomas is a professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has exhibited her work internationally. She is also a prominent figure in the art world, known for her innovative use of collage techniques and her celebration of Black female beauty. Thomas has received numerous awards and accolades for her work, including a MacArthur Fellowship in 2017.