Artist Mickalene Thomas has spent the past decade redefining Black portraiture and representations of the Black female body, empowering her subjects to resist objectification while celebrating the seductive power of their presence. Her portraits, intentionally bold and vibrant, are distinguished by striking colors, intricate patterns and rhinestone embellishments that demand attention. Drawing freely from art history and pop culture, Thomas intertwines these influences with the vibrant creative output of Black communities, particularly from recent decades. Her works stand as profound declarations of Black identity and resilience, challenging the historical narratives that have sought to marginalize these voices while crafting a dynamic, multifaceted universe that is entirely her own. A touring career survey, “Mickalene Thomas: All About Love,” first debuted at The Broad in Los Angeles before arriving at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia to great acclaim. Next stops include the Hayward Gallery in London (February 11-May 5, 2025) and Les Abattoirs, Musée–Frac Occitanie Toulouse (June 13-November 9, 2025).
In the Barnes Foundation—home to one of the most celebrated modern art collections in the U.S.—the exhibition takes on an added layer of significance. Thomas’s work engages in a compelling dialogue with the iconic masters of modern art in the Barnes collection, including Monet, Picasso and Modigliani, creating a fascinating continuum within the tradition of female portraiture. But Thomas doesn’t stop at mere conversation; she constructs immersive experiences. Her visual universe spills beyond the boundaries of her canvases with installations and custom-designed wallpapers that transform the gallery spaces. Visitors are transported into a vibrant world rooted in the energy of Black culture from the ‘80s and ‘90s, where every element works together to amplify her powerful vision.
By engaging with the entire history of art, Thomas not only challenges existing narratives but also champions innovative visual methods to tackle pressing issues of race, gender and identity—especially in the portrayal of Black women. The show highlights how she deftly navigates themes of beauty, desirability and sexuality through a distinctly female gaze, elevating the power of seduction while making bold, unapologetic statements. Most importantly, as Thomas herself explains, her work centers on portraying her subjects as fully realized human beings—individuals to be seen, understood and valued for their intrinsic beauty, ensuring they are celebrated entirely on their own terms.
As the second iteration of Mickalene Thomas’s career-defining survey wraps up in Philadelphia and prepares to open in London for its third chapter, Observer caught up with the artist to delve into how this exhibition reshapes our understanding of her practice.
What inspired the exhibition’s title, “All About Love?”
The title comes from the feminist icon bell hooks’ book, “All About Love.” I was inspired by the notion that love is an act. It reflects the central theme of my work—how love, in all its forms, shapes identity, relationships and experiences. It speaks to the complexities of love within families, communities and even self-love. The title is also a nod to the idea of love as a personal and collective force that can heal, empower and transform but also complicate and challenge us. It’s about embracing love in its entire spectrum—joy and the struggle.
The line between seduction, erotism and vulgarity is often subtle, but your bold portraits celebrate feminine allure and the seductive qualities of your subjects while emphasizing empowerment, agency and the kinship that highlights Black femininity. How do you maintain that balance?
I think the distinction between seduction, erotism and vulgarity is nuanced, and it’s something I’m very intentional about in my work. Seduction, to me, is about an invitation, a subtlety in how the subject engages with the viewer—there’s a particular mystery and confidence in it, but it’s not aggressive or overexposed. Eroticism, on the other hand, is more about the celebration of desire and the body, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be overt. It’s about intimacy and the power of suggestion, not just the act itself.
Vulgarity, I think, often comes from a lack of agency. It’s about objectification and reducing the subject to a mere stereotype or a superficial image without depth. In my portraits, I try to avoid that by focusing on the complexity of the subject—celebrating and showing them as fully realized, with both strength and vulnerability. There’s a power in showing Black femininity, erotica and desire in all its forms, from softness to fierceness and sensual to grounded. My work is rooted in pleasure and healing as an act of transformation.
Your multilayered compositions often begin with a deep personal connection to your subjects and their stories. Can you share more about how you select your subjects and how those connections shape your image-making process?
Maintaining this delicate balance comes from exploring through my subjects pleasure, love and joy by creating narratives idealized based on memories of desire. It’s about empowerment and agency—capturing the essence of their identity and prowess over how they present themselves to the world. I hope to convey that their inner beauty, allure and sexuality aren’t something to be imposed from the outside—they are inherent to each person and must be celebrated on their terms.
My choice of subjects is profoundly personal and rooted in a connection beyond just the visual. I’m drawn to strong women who are not afraid to convey vulnerability and seduction that resonate with our experiences or ideas explored within my experiences—whether it’s the strength and complexity of Black womanhood, the intersections of identity or the power of intimacy and desire. This allows me to create an image that is not just a reflection of them but also a reflection of our shared experiences. I try to capture how they look and feel in front of the camera, think about their bodies and want to be seen.
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I often incorporate elements that represent aspects of their identity or narratives that feel important—symbolic textures, patterns or the use of familial notions of Black domestic, which allows me to layer different meanings and dimensions into the work. I use collage, in particular, to merge physical reality with memory and imagination for their formal aspects. It’s a way to weave together the complexities of identity and experience. As the composition takes shape, the subject transforms in my work. I see each portrait as an evolution, an interpretation of how they are seen, celebrated and empowered and how they see themselves.
Your work masterfully blends art historical references and popular culture in a playful yet dialectically critical way. Can you share some of the references featured in this show?
I’m glad you noticed that interplay in my work. A significant part of my practice is about merging art history with pop culture, as both are powerful ways for me to tell stories, though they operate in very different realms. Art history offers a foundation—an essential framework for exploring representation, beauty and power—while pop culture reflects the dynamic, ever-evolving landscape we live in today. By blending the two, I create a space where high and low cultures can converse, challenge one another, and hopefully offer new perspectives.
In this show, you’ll see references to iconic moments in art history, such as 19th-century painting, the Harlem Renaissance and Afrocentric portraiture. These references speak to my visual path to African American representation in art, where historically, Black female bodies have often been marginalized, stereotyped or viewed as exotic. My work also draws deeply from personal memory and experience—like growing up in a house filled with strong women and lots of love despite the obstacles and trauma we sometimes face. Beauty, for me, is a language of expression—whether it’s the ritual of watching your grandmother get ready for church on Sunday, the weekly moments of transformation like dressing up, visiting the hair salon or gathering at a family house party. These personal moments of love, care and connection inform much of the way I approach my subjects.
For this exhibition, you crafted a layered mise en scène that extends beyond the works to create environments infused with nostalgia. Can you elaborate on the site-specific installations and multimedia elements you incorporated? Will these evolve as the show travels to new venues?
These installations are intended as an opportunity to tell stories and to draw viewers into a layered, nostalgic environment based on my childhood memory. There are two installations representing two different time periods designed to evoke the feeling of familiarity and memory that evoke the fabric of my life experiences by using elements and signifiers that blend personal history with cultural references. The elements are pulled from family archival photographs, which invite the audience to engage with the work in a more dynamic familial way.
“All About Love” surveys your practice from the early 2000s to today. How has your work evolved over this time? Are there aspects you’ve left behind or unexpected developments you’ve discovered over the past two decades?
Over the past two decades, my oeuvre has evolved from focusing on personal identity and cultural history to a broader exploration of collective narratives, empowerment, love, joy and celebration, particularly around Black femininity and beauty.
I’ve moved from more traditional portraiture to incorporating multimedia, collage and installation to deepen the storytelling. While I’ve left behind some earlier, more rigid conceptual frameworks, I’ve unexpectedly embraced fluidity—allowing the work to evolve organically and engage with new mediums and collaborations. This shift has brought a sense of freedom and expansion to my practice.
“Mickalene Thomas: All About Love” is on view at the Barnes Foundation through January 12, 2025.
