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Mickalene Thomas Art

American, b. 1971

Although she’s best known for her vibrant and textural collage portraits of Black women, contemporary artist Mickalene Thomas is in fact a master of many mediums, including photography, video, sculpture and printmaking. Born in Camden, New Jersey, and raised by her mother, a fashion model, Thomas enrolled in after-school art classes at the Newark Museum of Art in Newark, New Jersey, and the Henry Street Settlement in New York City as a child. Later, she would earn fine art degrees from Pratt Institute and Yale University.

Inspired in part by her strong, matriarchal upbringing and her own identity as a queer Black woman, Thomas focuses on female power, beauty and sexuality in her works. She cites a 1990s-era exhibition of Carrie Mae Weems’s work at the Portland Art Museum in Oregon as being critically important to her becoming an artist. In her work, Thomas commonly pulls from the art history canon, riffing frequently on the styles and compositions of early modernists such as Gustave Courbet, Édouard Manet and Henri Matisse, as well as more contemporary artists like Romare Bearden and David Hockney. She recontextualizes their paintings by restaging them with Black subjects, using signature materials like rhinestones, enamel and acrylic paint to profound effect. Relatedly, for a collaboration with Dior, Thomas reinvented the house’s iconic Bar jacket and Lady Dior handbag to become, essentially, wearable Claude Monet landscapes.

Thomas also investigates the idea of Black celebrity in her work, painting portraits of such Black icons as Whitney Houston, Oprah Winfrey and Eartha Kitt. In 2008, Thomas painted the first individual silkscreen portrait of then–First Lady Michelle Obama, which was exhibited for the first time in the National Portrait Gallery’s “Americans Now” show.

Thomas’s work can be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Brooklyn Museum of Art, among others. She has received such accolades as the Timerhi Award for Leadership in the Arts in 2010, the Brooklyn Museum Asher B. Durand Award in 2012 and the Anonymous Was a Woman Award in 2013. In 2015, Thomas was named a USA Francie Bishop Good & David Horvitz Fellow.

Find Mickalene Thomas’s art on 1stDibs today.

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Mickalene Thomas, Portrait de Priscilla Le Petit Chien official COA S/N, Framed
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in New York, NY
Mickalene Thomas Portrait de Priscilla Le Petit Chien, 2012 Pigment print on 100% cotton rag paper Edition 141/150 Frame included with official COA affixed to the back Hand numbered ...
Category

2010s Realist Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Laid Paper, Permanent Marker, Digital Pigment

Maya & Interior by Mickalene Thomas, 2024, limited edition
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in Zug, CH
Mickalene Thomas Maya & Interior 2024 UV pigment print on 410gsm Somerset Tub Sized Radiant White paper with 4 metallic silkscreen glitter and shimmer layers, a CMYK silkscreen centr...
Category

2010s Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Silk, Color, Pigment

MICKALENE THOMAS "UNTITLED" (BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL) USA, 2017
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in Pembroke Pines, FL
Mickalene Thomas "Untitled" (Black is Beautiful) USA, 2017 Inkjet print Signed and numbered by the artist From an edition of 100 14"H 11"W (work) Framed Approx: 22"H x 17"W Excellent...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Inkjet

Mickalene Thomas Left Behind, 2021
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in New York, NY
The new exclusive series of limited edition collages by acclaimed American artist Mickalene Thomas comes in two series of 10 unique collage prints. Phaidon, Artspace, and Avant Arte...
Category

2010s American Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Paper

Portrait of a Lovely Six Foota #1
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Mickalene Thomas Portrait of a Lovely Six Foota #1, 2009, (24/50 + 5 AP) Archival Pigment Print 14 x 11 in Published by The Lapis Press, to benefit the Institute of Contemporary Art...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Portrait of Maya #10
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in Zug, CH
The unapologetic Portrait of Maya #10 (2024), originally conceived as a monumental 8-foot-tall artwork as part of the Broad Collection 2017, is a bold celebration of love and sexuali...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Varnish, Glitter, Digital Pigment, Screen

Mickalene Thomas - October, 1950 - Contemporary Art, Artist Plate
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in London, GB
'October, 1950' by Mickalene Thomas - Artist Plate Fine Bone China Edition of 250 Printed signature and edition details on verso comes with the original presentation box. Mickalene ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Ceramic

Mickalene Thomas - 2 x Artist Plates - Contemporary Art, Artist Plate
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in London, GB
Fine Bone China Edition of 250 Printed signature and edition details on verso comes with the original presentation box. Mickalene Thomas, born in 1971 in Camden, New Jersey, is a ce...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Ceramic

Lena Blanket or Throw by Mickalene Thomas
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in Jersey City, NJ
This wool and cotton blanket by celebrated artist Mickalene Thomas fits a queen or king, or is fantastic has a wall hanging. Produced in collaboration with Pendleton Mills, this l...
Category

2010s American Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Lena Blanket or Throw by Mickalene Thomas
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in Jersey City, NJ
This wool and cotton blanket by celebrated artist Mickalene Thomas fits a queen or king, or is fantastic has a wall hanging. Produced in collaboration with Pendleton Mills, this lim...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Suede, Wool, Cotton

Mickalene Thomas - Maya #10
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in London, GB
Maya, 2024 UV pigment print on 410gsm Somerset Tub Sized Radiant White paper with 4 metallic silkscreen glitter and shimmer layers, a CMYK silkscreen central panel and matte varnish ...
Category

2010s Feminist Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Pigment, Screen

Jet Blue in Landscape
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in New Canaan, CT
This edition was created specifically for The Glass House Art Editions Program. Every artwork purchased contributes to preservation projects on site and allows us to provide engaging...
Category

2010s Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Enamel, Steel

Jet Blue in Landscape
Jet Blue in Landscape
$18,750 Sale Price
25% Off
Mickalene Thomas - Din, Une Très Belle Négresse 2 - Skateboard
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in London, GB
Mickalen Thomas - Din, Une Très Belle Négresse 2 - Skateboard Size: 80 x 20 cm / 31 x 8 inches Material: 7 ply Grade A Canadian Maple wood Includes 1 Easyfix wall mount per deck Tho...
Category

2010s Feminist Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Maple, Wood

Tiffona Lisa #2
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Mickalene Thomas (b.1971) is an American artist exploring the intersection of popular culture and art history, through a contemporary Black female gaze. As an openly gay Black woman,...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Ceramic

Kindred Spirits, Tamika and Qusuquzah Sitting on Couch
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in New York, NY
Multidisciplinary artist Mickalene Thomas’ portraits critically deconstruct accepted definitions of beauty, race, and gender, specifically in relation to black women. Known for her ...
Category

2010s Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Hot! Wild! Unrestricted!
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in New York, NY
C-Print 24 x 30 inches
Category

Early 2000s Mickalene Thomas Art

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'Fragile Flower' A Unique Ceramic Wall Sculpture, Pekka Paikkari, 2021
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Richard Hirsch Encaustic Painting of Nothing #72, 2021
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Antique Rooster Woodblock Print circa 1910 by Prosper Alphonse Isaac
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Antique Rooster Portrait Prosper Alphonse Isaac (France, 1858-1924) Woodblock Print circa 1910 9 x 7 1/8 (15 1/4 x 17 frame) inches The excellent book "The Great Wave: The Influence of Japanese Woodcuts on French Prints" which was an exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1974, recounts the phenomenal "cult of Japan" in late nineteenth-century France and reveals through direct comparisons its particular impact on the graphic work of Manet, Degas, Cassatt, Bonnard, Vuillard, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Gauguin. This print directly relates to the discovery of Japanese art most notably through the woodblock prints which found their way to the West oftentimes as stuffing or packing materials from consumer goods that were being imported to the West at the end of the 19th century. Prosper-Alphonse Isaac was born in a well-to-do family. This gave him the means not only of leaving his native Calais to pursue a career as an artist in Paris, but also the means to acquire art. Isaac was particularly drawn to Japanese arts, which he collected avidly. Many of the objects he bought were eventually given to museums. As a printmaker Isaac started drawing seascapes in dry point, but eventually moved on to become one of only a handful of artists versed in color woodcut techniques in France. His compositions, generally small in scale, are heavily influenced by the arts of Japan. He printed small editions of these works. Aside from this artistic activity, Isaac was also an active textile decorator. "This mark, which he borrows from Hokusaï and Totoya Hokkeï...
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1910s Art Nouveau Mickalene Thomas Art

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David Hockney, The Rake's Progress 100% Silk British Pocket Scarf in bespoke box
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2010s Pop Art Mickalene Thomas Art

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Joan Miró's silk scarf, L'or de l'azur, abstract scarf.
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21st Century and Contemporary Mickalene Thomas Art

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Basquiat’s dog, Limited Edition Print, Animal Portrait, Dog art, Modern art
By Mychael Barratt
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Limited edition print of a black dog in front of its food bowl.  Woof, Woof, Woof! ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Original Limited Edition Print by Mychael Barratt Screen print on Paper ...
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2010s Contemporary Mickalene Thomas Art

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Serigraph by Alex Foxton, 2021
Located in Saint ouen, FR
Serigraph by Alex Foxton, 2021: This captivating serigraph by Alex Foxton is part of a 2001 series entitled 'Frankenstein'. This magnificent artwork on vellum paper, signed and num...
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Early 2000s European Mickalene Thomas Art

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Serigraph by Alex Foxton, 2021
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Previously Available Items
Clarivel with Black Blouse and White Ribbon
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Hand signed, dated and numbered out of 25 by Thomas in pencil on the reverse of the print. The edition is based on a collage of the same name that was featured in the artist's acclai...
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2010s Contemporary Mickalene Thomas Art

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Giclée

When Ends Meet
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Mickalene Thomas (b.1971) is an American artist exploring the intersection of popular culture and art history, through a contemporary Black female gaze. As an openly gay Black woman, sexuality and race are essential themes in Thomas' practice. Thomas frequently creates elaborate and intricate portraits of black women...
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Early 2000s Contemporary Mickalene Thomas Art

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Mixed Media, Screen

Michelle O
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Mickalene Thomas (b.1971) is an American artist exploring the intersection of popular culture and art history, through a contemporary Black female gaze. As an openly gay Black woman, sexuality and race are essential themes in Thomas' practice. This print is outside the edition of 40 inscribed ‘project proof’ and numbered 4/4. Looks authentic. Published by Brand X Projects. Thomas frequently creates portraits of black women...
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Early 2000s Contemporary Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Screen

Why Can't We Just Sit Down and Talk It Over?
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Mickalene Thomas (b.1971) is a renowned artist exploring the intersection of popular culture and art history, through a contemporary Black female gaze. She studied at the Pratt Institute, and earned her MFA from Yale. As an openly gay Black woman, sexuality and race are essential elements of Thomas' practice. Thomas primary focus is portraits of black women. Her works are instantly recognizable featuring bold textures, patterns and colors. Thomas' subjects radiate beauty and confidence, further enhanced by the abundance of colorful textures and patterns surrounding them. Their hair is typically natural, and their bodies are often exposed or informal. They lounge, or pose, as women in art history have done for centuries. Only this time, it's Black women being celebrated for their culture and beauty. Visual references to Blaxploitation, Pop Art, Cubism, Dadaism, and even Renaissance art appear in her work. Her subjects, or muses, emanate an air of ease in their skin. Their gaze is usually directed towards the viewer, challenging the white male gaze and defying racial stereotypes of subservience and objectification. This colorful and multi-faceted work "Why Can't We Just Sit Down and Talk It Over?" is a stunning example of Thomas' practice. Created in her signature mixed-media collage style, this screenprint features a poised and beautiful Black woman...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Screen

Portrait of a Lovely Six Foota #1
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Mickalene Thomas (b.1971) is an American artist exploring the intersection of popular culture and art history, through a contemporary Black female gaze. As an openly gay Black woman, sexuality and race are essential themes in Thomas' practice. "Portrait of a Lovely...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Giclée

Clarivel with Black Blouse and White Ribbon
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Mickalene Thomas (b.1971) is an American artist exploring the intersection of popular culture and art history, through a contemporary Black female gaze. As an openly gay Black woman, sexuality and race are essential themes in Thomas' practice. Thomas' frequently creates portraits of black women...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Inkjet

The High Priestess
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in Saint Louis, MO
The High Priestess, 2010 Archival inkjet print Framed Dimensions: 20.19 x 16.25 x 1 inches (51.27 x 41.27 x 2.54 cm) Edition of 7, 2/3 AP
Category

2010s Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Archival Ink, Inkjet

The High Priestess
The High Priestess
H 20.2 in W 16.25 in D 1 in
Portrait of Marie Sitting in Black and White
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in Toronto, Ontario
This work, a black and white photo, is somewhat of an anomaly in Thomas' oeuvre. However "Marie" is surrounded by Thomas' signature background of fabrics in varying textures and patt...
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2010s Contemporary Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Photogravure

I Have Been Good To Me
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in Toronto, Ontario
I Have Been Good to Me, 2015 Screenprint, monoprint, silica flocking, wood veneer and digital printing in colors, on museum board, with full margins. I. 51 1/2 x 40 1/4 in. (130.8 x 102.2 cm) S. 56 1/2 x 45 in. (143.5 x 114.3 cm) Signed, dated and numbered out of 20 in pencil, published by Benefit Print Project, New York, unframed. This colorful and multi-faceted work is a stunning example of Thomas' practice. Created in Thomas' signature mixed-media collage style, this work features a poised and beautiful African-American woman serenely surrounded by various textures, colors, and objects. The subject is coiffed, confident, and glamorous in a flared open dress showcasing her gleaming legs and sexy high-heels. The interior elements seem to hint at domesticated nature: leopard print pillows, crocodile upholstered chairs, a white cat statue...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Digital, Monoprint, Screen

Mickalene Thomas-I've Been Good To Me-56.5" x 45"-Mixed Media-2015-Contemporary
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mixed media collage with silkscreen, mono and digital printing, leopard print paper, wood veneer, and silica flocking. Printed at Brand X, published by Benefit Print Project. Hand si...
Category

2010s Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Mixed Media

Clarivel with Black Blouse and White Ribbon
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Artwork may be viewed at our warehouse in Brooklyn. Additional images and information are available upon request.
Category

2010s Contemporary Mickalene Thomas Art

Materials

Giclée

Interior: Blue Couch and Green Owl
By Mickalene Thomas
Located in New York, NY
2016, mixed media collage: screenprint, woodblock, digital print and flocking, 42 3/8 x 34 1/4 inches (107.6 x 87 cm), edition of 26, signed and numbered by the artist Based on collaged paintings the artists created in 2014, the work combines a multitude of processes and elements, including screenprint, woodblock, flocking and digital printing. Interior: Blue Couch and Green Owl...
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2010s Mickalene Thomas Art

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Mickalene Thomas art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Mickalene Thomas art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Mickalene Thomas in digital print, inkjet print, digital pigment print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Mickalene Thomas art, so small editions measuring 11 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Ryan McGinley, Gregory Crewdson, and Catherine Opie. Mickalene Thomas art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $3,500 and tops out at $32,750, while the average work can sell for $6,750.

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