Mickalene Thomas

Visual Artist

WHAT IS YOUR CALLING CARD?

One is rhinestones. Another is creating new visual storytelling around the complexities of Black womanhood—from erotic beauty and femininity to identity and represen- tation. This forces us to understand how our perspectives and experiences inevitably coexist, whether we acknowledge it or not.

WHAT’S SOMETHING PEOPLE GET WRONG ABOUT YOU?

That I don’t want to work with—or don’t like—galleries. I do, but I expect to work together as equal partners in every project or professional relationship. I have worked with Yancey Richardson and Galerie Nathalie Obadia for more than 10 years, for example. Another thing people don’t expect is that I am pretty shy, which is mistaken for me being aloof. Once you get to know me, I will crack you up.

““What I look for in my world is happiness, good friends, warmth, serenity, and the opportunity to tell encouraging and impactful stories.””

NAME AN INFLUENCE OF YOURS THAT MIGHT SURPRISE PEOPLE.

I am inspired by Buddhism and the Japanese aesthetic and culture. My brother and I were raised as Buddhists in Camden and Newark. I’m always recentering, contemplating, and pulling from my inner self. What I look for in my world is happiness, good friends, warmth, serenity, and the opportunity to tell encouraging and impactful stories. I rely on my intuition as a place to pull from and protect me.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE MORE OF IN YOUR INDUSTRY? LESS OF?

We need to develop a new standard where artists are fairly compensated for their work when it is sold on the secondary market—at auctions or otherwise. When a collector sells our work, we don’t see a cent of that profit, even if it far exceeds the original sale price of the piece.